Man in previous spectacle arrested after SWAT standoff on Lubbock cell tower
Officials confirmed a SWAT response to a man on a central Lubbock cell phone tower ended peacefully after the man came down and was taken into custody just before 5 p.m.
Lt. Cross briefs the public on the individual who climbed a tower in Central Lubbock. One person has been taken into custody.
Posted by Lubbock Police Department on Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Police had urged people to avoid the area around 22nd Street and Memphis Avenue as officers respond to a person who climbed a nearby cell phone tower. The man was identified as 49-year-old Chad Coffey, who will face a charge of criminal trespass, Lubbock police Lt. Brady Cross said during a media briefing at the scene.
The incident was reported about 3:47 p.m. Thursday, and police and first responders blocked off traffic in the immediate area as officials determine what if any threat the person poses. No weapons were discovered after the standoff ended, said Cross.
This is not Coffey's first high-profile arrest linked to a public spectacle, with local media reports showing he was arrested in September 2016 after he allegedly danced on South Loop 289 while wearing a wrestling mask and Wonder Woman cape.
Although Cross said no injuries were reported in Wednesday's incident, it did prompt a brief shut down of the area surrounding the tower.
An LBK alert confirmed a SWAT team responded to the area. Nearby residents were asked to remain indoors and others were asked to avoid the area until the incident was resolved.
It was not immediately clear why the man climbed the tower as the incident remains under investigation.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Man in previous spectacle arrested after SWAT standoff on cell tower