This story originates from KYUK Public Media and was published with permission.
BETHEL — After a 31-hour armed standoff, Bethel police have arrested a man who barricaded himself with children inside his home.
According to a press release from the Bethel Police Department, officers received a call just after 7:40 p.m. on Friday, saying a man was threatening to shoot himself with children inside his residence in Bethel’s Uivik Subdivision.
Police arrived on the scene, where they found the children already outside. One of the children identified the armed male as 34-year-old Dennis Hensley Jr. The child confirmed that Hensley had been discharging his gun inside the residence.
Police alleged that Hensley threatened to murder the police, his wife, family and himself over the phone. According to the press release, he started discharging a gun, saying he would shoot the police then himself if the police came to the door.
Bethel police called Alaska State Troopers for assistance. The unit responded, bringing in their negotiator.
When efforts to get Hensley to vacate his home failed, troopers flew in their Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) from Fairbanks on Saturday.
After 31 hours, on Sunday just after 1:30 a.m., troopers said Hensley came out of his home and was taken in by SERT after a lengthy negotiation. He was turned over to Bethel police and arrested without incident. Police took Hensley to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center in Bethel on an arrest warrant of six counts of assault in the third degree and one count of coercion.
