Armed man holds police at bay in TRE

TOPAZ RANCH ESTATES - A 60-year-old man from here was arrested after an hour-long standoff with sheriff's deputies.

Nearly two dozen sheriff's officers responded to at call at 3850 Topaz Ranch Road, near the intersection with Albite.

The home belongs to Harry and Shelly Sprouse, who purchased it in 1997, according to the Douglas County Assessor's Web site.

Officers responded to a call that Sprouse was suicidal and had threatened his wife about 4:07 p.m.

His wife, Shelly Sprouse, said he had gotten angry and ran outside with a pistol and rifle.

"He was helping me and drinking wine, and all of a sudden he got mad at me," Shelly Sprouse said. "He lost it and said he is going to kill himself. Then he ran out of the house."

The Sprouse home is near the intersection of Topaz Ranch and Albite roads. It is set at the base of a rise, back from the road with a long driveway.

Deputies took up a position in front of the house and called for backup. Units, including the sheriff's office negotiator and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team, were called to this community 22 miles south of Gardnerville.

As officers gathered their forces, Sprouse walked around his yard carrying both weapons. At one point officers reported he was digging a hole in behind the house.

Neighbors were asked to leave their homes until the standoff was over.

Sprouse eventually walked back down the driveway toward officers with both weapons in hand, yelling as he went.

He kneeled in the driveway holding the rifle to his head and finally laying it aside. Then he drew his pistol and put it down and was taken into custody at about 5:25 p.m. and was being held at the Douglas County jail. No one was injured.