Neighbors react after man barricaded himself in crashed vehicle

ELKHART, Ind. -- A police chase turns into a swat standoff in Elkhart.

Heavily armed officers surrounded a suspect's van, after an armed man crashed into a utility pole near the corner of West Lusher Avenue and South Sixth Street. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Elkhart Police say the suspect, a man in his thirties, has multiple outstanding warrants unrelated to today's incident.

Elkhart Police say the three-hour standoff started when an officer on patrol tried to stop a Sprinter van believed to be stolen.

That led to a chase that ended with a crash.

Surveillance video from a neighbor showed the moment the police chase ended with an armed suspect crashing into a utility pole at the intersection of West Lusher Avenue and South Sixth Street in Elkhart.

Elkhart Police claim the driver refused to leave the vehicle telling officers he was armed.

The suspect barricaded himself in a sprinter van for more than three hours until the Elkhart County Swat Team deployed "chemical irritants".

ABC57 had a clear view as the suspect got out of the car with his hands up.

He then took off his shirt and then backed towards a swarm of officers who surrounded him and put him in handcuffs.

Jesús Pérez, who lives on Lusher Avenue, was on his way home from work when he saw the commotion.

“The street over here was blocked off and there was a bunch of cops all around and we had a bunch of neighbors sitting over there to try to figure out what was happening," said Pérez.

The standoff triggered lockdowns at some nearby schools leaving neighbors shocked.

Elkhart Police say they found a firearm inside the van and initial investigations suggest it was fired inside the vehicle.

Elkhart Police say there was no one else in the vehicle.

The suspect has been booked at the Elkhart County Jail, pending formal charges.