Two men were in custody Sunday night following a police standoff at an apartment building on State Street in Portland that lasted for more than five hours. The incident began when police responded to a report of a man pointing a gun at passing motorists.

Carlos Dubon, 24, and Jose Dubon, 26, both of Portland, were arrested following the standoff at 62 State St., a four-story brick apartment building.

Carlos Dubon was taken by ambulance to Maine Medical Center “for precautionary reasons,” and was later to be transferred to the Cumberland County Jail, where he will be charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, reckless conduct, refusal to submit to arrest, violation of conditions of release, and creating a police standoff, Portland police spokesman David Singer said in a press release. Officers served a search warrant on Dubon’s apartment in the building after he was in custody and collected evidence.

Jose Dubon was charged with obstructing government administration and refusal to submit to arrest, Singer said. It was not clear whether the two men are related or whether both lived in the same building.

The standoff began late Sunday morning when Portland police officers responded to the call about a man – later identified as Carlos Dubon – pointing a handgun at passing traffic.

When officers arrived around 11:33 a.m., they encountered a man brandishing a firearm. He refused to obey police commands and fled inside 62 State St.

Members of the Portland police Special Reaction Team responded, along with the department’s crisis negotiators. Other tenants were safely evacuated, but Carlos Dubon remained inside.

“After hours of negotiations, chemical munitions were used to extricate the male from his apartment,” Singer said.

Maj. Jason King of the Portland Police Department told reporters near the building around 5 p.m. that the suspect was in custody and that the standoff had come to an end. Though it was unclear exactly what took place inside the building, there were no reports of injuries to law enforcement officers or bystanders.

King said that crews from the fire department would need time to ventilate the building at Danforth and State streets. Two officers, both wearing gas masks, received medical treatment in a waiting ambulance shortly before King announced the suspect was in custody. Paramedics rinsed their faces with water and gave them eye drops.

A large crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene Sunday while a number of police officers, many carrying long guns, surrounded the building, which is located diagonally across the street from 75 State Street, an independent living and assisted living community for seniors in Portland’s West End.

During the standoff,  police blocked off sections of Danforth and State streets to traffic while a large police presence filtered into the area. In addition to the Crime Scene Investigation unit and the department’s Crisis Negotiation team, the Portland Fire Department sent its Rescue 1 truck, which specializes in handling hazardous materials. The police department’s Special Reaction Team is trained to respond to incidents that exceed the capabilities of standard patrol resources. Situations could include high-risk search or arrest warrants, armed barricaded subjects, hostage rescue, and apprehension of dangerous suspects, according to its website.

Earlier during the standoff, some officers had long guns drawn and pointed at the building. At one point an officer walked toward the building with a shield.

Around 3:20 p.m., officers carrying what appeared to be gas masks entered the building, and a short time later police escorted people out.

Portland police shared on social media shortly before 1 p.m. that the “situation is contained,” but officers were still on the scene hours later.

Portland PD Officers are on scene investigating an incident on State St. with traffic detoured. Situation is contained. More info will be released at a later time.

— Portland (ME) Police (@PolicePortland) October 24, 2021