Family Dispute Draws Full-Scale Police Response

More than half a dozen police officers briefly sealed off two blocks in western Ventura on Tuesday afternoon after responding to what turned out to be a false alarm.

About noon, Ventura police received a call that a man armed with a gun was beating his wife and threatening to kill himself and his spouse if anyone came near the family apartment in the 200 block of Wall Street.

The call was eerily similar to the July 18 domestic dispute call in Meiners Oaks in which Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy Peter John Aguirre Jr. was shot and killed.

“We assume the worst and hope for the best on these kind of calls,” said Ventura Police Lt. Carl Handy. “That way you can be sure you’re gonna make it home each night.”

The call went out for all available patrol cars and about eight officers, along with two probation officers, arrived at the scene.

While curious neighborhood children watched, the officers slowly surrounded the apartment complex with guns drawn. They finally entered the building using a police dog.

“No gun was found. No arrest was made,” Handy said. “And although I hate to use this term, it turned out to be a routine domestic--a verbal dispute between a couple.”

The officers filed a report and left the scene after about 45 minutes, he said.