Las Vegas man arrested after hostage crisis

Wednesday, May 28, 1997 | 10:48 a.m.

A knife-wielding man barricaded himself with his two sons inside their northeast valley home early today after chasing his wife and their other children out of the home, Metro Police said.

David Fowler, 41, became violent about 1 a.m. when his wife attempted to move herself and her children out of their home at 2579 Pine Creek Road, near Carey Avenue and Pecos Road, Metro spokesman Phil Roland said.

He chased the wife out with a knife, and the two older children voluntarily stayed inside, Roland said.

The woman left and called police. Officers arrived and the man refused to release the juveniles, who had changed their minds and wanted to leave.

SWAT officers were called and for three hours the man and his sons were barricaded in the house, Roland said. Fowler refused to negotiate with police, he said. About 4 a.m., SWAT officers tossed tear gas into the house, and, after Fowler still refused to leave, forced entry and arrested him.

Fowler was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of child endangerment, one count of battery and one count of domestic violence.

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