Jason Mercado
A tense standoff in Harrisonburg came to a peaceful end early Monday after a man armed with an AR-15-style rifle barricaded himself inside a trailer on Virginia Avenue, prompting an hours-long emergency response and a citywide shelter-in-place alert.
The situation began around 3 p.m. Sunday (October 26) when Harrisonburg Police responded to reports of a man behaving erratically and swinging a machete near the 1200 block of Virginia Avenue. Officers identified the suspect as 28-year-old Jason Mercado, who fled into a trailer with two women inside.
Authorities immediately locked down the area within a quarter-mile radius, urging residents to stay indoors. Multiple specialized units — including Crisis Negotiators, SWAT, and Major Crimes Detectives — arrived to assist. Negotiators confirmed that both women inside were safe and unharmed, and by 10:45 p.m., police were able to escort them from the trailer for evaluation at Sentara RMH.
Despite efforts to de-escalate, Mercado refused to surrender. With growing safety concerns, officers obtained a search warrant and began evacuating nearby homes. Around 1:20 a.m. Monday, SWAT officers, assisted by Virginia State Police, deployed gas into the trailer, leading Mercado to exit and surrender without further incident.
He was taken to the Rockingham-Harrisonburg Regional Jail and charged with two counts of felony abduction. Officials credited the successful resolution to coordinated teamwork among multiple agencies, including HPD, the Fire Department, Rescue Squad, State Police, and Public Works.
The Emergency Communication Center issued the shelter-in-place order at 3:15 p.m., warning residents of the threat and advising them to stay indoors. Locals can register for future emergency alerts through the City of Harrisonburg website.
SOURCE: RocktownNow