WAVY News Staff – NORFOLK, VA. (WAVY) — Officers with the Norfolk Police Department are at a home in the 1500 block of Melrose Parkway, where an armed man has been barricaded inside for more than 24 hours.
Norfolk Police are calling the situation unstable, but are still negotiating with the suspect to get him out of the house. Officers say they don't want to force their hand because they want a peaceful resolution.
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Police officials tweeted about the situation shortly after 9:30 a.m. Monday, and advised people to avoid the area. Daniel Hudson with Norfolk Police told WAVY.com officers were called to the area around 8:25 a.m. for reports of vandalism.
Responding officers encountered a man armed with a gun who ran inside of a house. According to police, no one else is inside of the home.
Police would not go on camera Tuesday, but a spokesman says the man is believed to be holed up inside of his home. They also believe the man has several weapons, so they are concerned about safety.
Melrose Parkway has been shut down throughout the situation. All nearby residents were asked Monday to shelter in place.
Residents within the block are being allowed into their homes with a police escort — a measure that began Tuesday morning. Police say the residents are being allowed to gather items and get what they need.
Officers are then escorting them back out as a measure of caution.
A resident shared this video of the active scene Monday:
Hudson said Crisis Team Members responded to the scene Monday to "help the individual in need."
Hudson says a SWAT team has responded to the situation, which is located one block away from Old Dominion University's campus.
ODU spokesperson Giovanna Genard shared with WAVY.com the statement issued to the ODU Campus Community on the incident Monday morning:
Norfolk Police is conducting an investigation into a barricade situation in the 1500 block of Melrose Parkway in the Larchmont neighborhood of Norfolk. Please stay clear of the area until further notice."
Norfolk Police is conducting an investigation into a barricade situation in the 1500 block of Melrose Parkway in the Larchmont neighborhood of Norfolk. Please stay clear of the area until further notice."
Police say the man inside the home is not a student at ODU, and did not publicly identify the person as the situation unfolded Monday.
Although police haven't identified the suspect, neighbors who live nearby tell 10 On Your Side they heard police calling for a man named Larry to come out of a house.
Dozens of officers have responded to the scene, along with several agencies, including Virginia Beach Police and Dominion Virginia Power. Police alerted residents around 1:10 p.m. to be prepared for a brief power outage.
Norfolk Police used a robot in order to take a phone to the man so that officers could communicate with him.
Senior ODU students who live nearby said they learned just a little about what was happening down the street through social media.
"I came out here, took a look and it was a lot of police cars," Michael Hayes said.
"I just woke up, went on Twitter, you know, social media, and read these tweets," Elmer Baker said.
Of the situation, the students said it's surprising.
Hayes said, "I was actually quite surprised. I was like, ‘Why is that happening so close to ODU campus?'"
The students said the situation has caused an inconvenience they hope gets resolved soon.
"I have a lot of friends who live on that street and they say it has stopped them from going to class, getting food," Hayes said.
Kelli Goforth, a senior ODU who lives nearby, said, "It was concerning in the beginning. I think that police pretty much have it under control and at this point we just need to get him out so everyone can go home and get on with their lives."