A tense standoff between police and a possibly armed man closed down Route 77 during the height of the afternoon rush hour last week, but ended peaceably.

Andrew Ettinger, 24, of 300 Shore Road, was arrested July 22 without incident after he gave himself up to police and was booked at Cumberland County Jail, said Cape Elizabeth Police Chief Neil Williams.

According to Williams, police were dispatched to the 300 Shore Road home late Tuesday afternoon after a 23-year-old woman living in one of the apartments flagged down civilians in the parking lot of Jonesy’s Service Center next door, begging for help.

The woman had been assaulted by her boyfriend, later identified as Ettinger, in a domestic dispute, Williams said.

“She stated that there were weapons in the residence. We tried to make telephone contact” with Ettinger but got no response, Williams said.

After several attempts to contact Ettinger, the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Reaction Team – the equivilent of a SWAT team – took up positions around the perimeter of the building and area homes and businesses were evacuated at about 4 p.m., Williams said.

Police and emergency workers were also forced to shut down Route 77, the primary traffic artery between South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. Route 77 and Shore Road intersect directly in front of 300 Shore Road.

During the standoff, one officer spotted Ettinger looking out a window and gave him a verbal command to exit the house.

Ettinger did, and he was taken into custody without incident, Williams said.

Williams said the victim was treated by Cape Elizabeth Rescue personnel at the scene. He said he did not know what injuries she had or if she was taken to the hospital.

Police did a cursory search of the apartment to ensure that there was no one else inside, then locked it and were waiting for a warrant to search it for guns as of 7 p.m. Tueday.

Ettinger faces charges of domestic violence assault, criminal restraint and creating a police standoff, police said.

South Portland and Scarborough police assisted during the incident.