DEL NORTE, Colo. -- A 41-year-old Rio Grande County man suspected of domestic violence kept authorities at bay for 13 hours before surrendering Saturday afternoon.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Billy Lee Taylor, 41, without injury, but not before the suspect had fired shots from a .22-caliber rifle, prompting the use of an armored car to rescue deputies who were pinned down at the rural property between Del Norte and South Fork.
Deputies responded to a call early Saturday morning on County Road 15 where they found Taylor barricaded in a partially built shed on his property.
The victim of the suspected abuse had called authorities and was able to leave the property to seek medical attention, Sheriff Brian Norton said.
Norton said responding officers had reports that Taylor was known to have weapons. Upon arrival, they also saw a string tied to the man, giving rise to fears that the property may have been booby-trapped. The standoff continued through dawn, when parole officer Rick Black arrived on site and spoke with Taylor.
Taylor fired shots through a wall in the shed at 9:46 a.m., Norton said. The shots forced Black and five deputies to take cover behind patrol cars on the property where they remained pinned down for roughly an hour and a half.
An armored vehicle from the Alamosa Police Department rescued the six.
Law enforcement personnel from six other agencies joined the scene, until 4:18 p.m., when Taylor came out and put down the rifle.
Taylor was being held without bail on a parole hold in the Rio Grande County jail Saturday night. Taylor had a prior criminal record outside the state, although Norton said he could not discuss those charges.
Possible charges from Saturday's incident include prohibited use of a weapon and domestic violence, although Norton said his office would not finish working up potential charges until today. One neighbor was evacuated during the standoff.