WATERVILLE — A man was detained by police late Sunday morning following an hourslong standoff with authorities that ended dramatically when officers fired several rounds of non-lethal pepper balls to disable him.

Michael Joslyn, 23, initiated the nearly 13-hour standoff with police when he refused to leave his College Avenue apartment building after earlier firing several gunshots through the floor in the direction of his landlord, with whom Deputy Chief Bill Bonney said Joslyn was having a dispute. Bonney also said Joslyn was intoxicated at the time he fired the shots, which totaled about a half-dozen when the standoff ceased.

At some time between 11 and 11:20 a.m., Bonney said Joslyn came out of the house without a weapon, but was still not cooperating with officials. He went back into the house and back outside several more times until a tactical team was able to detain him without injury by deploying their pepper-ball system, firing several rounds until Joslyn was subdued. There appeared to be about 20 to 30 law enforcement officers in total.

At about 12:30 p.m., Bonney said Joslyn was being processed and detectives were sorting through with what he would be charged. Bonney said it was reckless conduct, a felony, to fire in the direction of an individual. Bonney said they would be looking at additional charges as well.

The incident had prompted police to shut down a portion of upper College Avenue for about 13 hours until the standoff was over. During that time, officers directed traffic to go around the perimeter.

Police Chief Joseph Massey said law enforcement responded to a call at 8:55 p.m. Saturday from the person who owns the apartment building located at 124 College Ave., saying the upstairs tenant fired three or four rounds that traveled through the floor and into the first floor apartment.

Police were able to clear out the landlord and make contact with Joslyn, who refused to leave and barricaded himself inside the apartment. At that point, Joslyn was the only person inside the apartment building for the duration.

Massey said that at some point during the night Saturday and early hours of Sunday morning, the suspect fired three or four more rounds, firing six or seven shots in total.

Bonney said negotiators were in contact with Joslyn throughout the night Saturday and morning Sunday but were disconnected with Joslyn several times.

During the late morning, the man could be seen coming out the building. He initially held his hands in the air, as if readying to surrender, before turning back and staying on a porch outside the apartment.

Around 11:30 a.m., officers approached the porch and appeared to fire several rounds of non-lethal pepper balls at the man, disabling him and arresting him.

Over the last several years, Joslyn has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement. Bonney said Joslyn was summoned in November for threatening. Earlier in the year, in September, he paid a $200 fine for criminal trespassing in Waterville. In 2016, he was arrested in Waterville and charged with disorderly conduct and violation of condition of release. In March 2015, he was arrested in Winslow on charges of a minor consuming liquor and possession of marijuana and later fined $350 on the marijuana charge. In January of that year, he was arrested on two warrants for unpaid fines and fees and charged with a minor consuming liquor.

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