A standoff between Colorado Springs Police and a man who had barricaded himself in his apartment has ended with the man being taken into custody.

Walter Castillo, 28, surrendered to police at about 4:40 p.m.

Police were called to the scene just before 2 p.m. after the man apparently fired a gun at friends who had come to check on his welfare. It is not known whether Castillo knew who was at the door.

Friends said Castillo’s apartment had been burglarized, possibly as recently as Sunday night, and Castillo worried it would happen again and barricaded his door with chairs and other furniture.

When officers requested that occupants vacate the apartment in the 700 block of Tia Juana Street just before 2 p.m. a woman walked out, said Colorado Springs Police Department spokesman Sgt. Steve Noblitt.

At 4:30 p.m., police had not been able to talk to the man, Noblitt said, so officers attempted to flush him out, throwing a flash-bang device onto the apartment’s balcony.

Castillo surrended shortly afterward.

Friends who identified themselves as co-workers at an area restaurant said Castillo had not been to work in about two weeks, so they went to the apartment to check on him.

They said Castillo fired a gun through the peep hole of his front door and the bullet hit the door of the apartment across the way.

One friend said he had talked to Castillo during the stand-off and Castillo said he had fallen asleep and was awakened by the flash-bang device.

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