SWAT Team Called in as Man Allegedly Holds Female Against Her Will Inside Lafayette, Louisiana Apartment

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - A Lafayette man was arrested on Saturday after allegedly holding a female against her will inside an apartment complex for hours.

According to a press release from Lafayette Police, officers responded to an apartment complex at 102 Westwood Drive just after 2:00 p.m. as authorities learned this was a domestic related incident. Once officers got to the scene, they were able to contact the female and discovered she was being forced to stay inside. Officers say the suspect, 53-year-old Jerome Bernard, refused to come outside and barricaded himself inside.

The Lafayette Police S.W.A.T. team was brought in and Bernard was taken into custody after a several hours long standoff.

The apartment complex is known as Bayou Shadows, which sits off Congress Street behind BJ's Pizza and the string of fast food restaurants. A letter was sent out to residents of the apartment complex letting them know when the situation was handled and that it "was resolved without injury."

Bernard was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on the following charges:

• False Imprisonment
• Battery of a dating partner
• Aggravated assault with a firearm

As of this time, bond has not been set for Bernard yet. His court date has been set for Wednesday, February 22nd at 8:30 a.m.