HARRISONBURG VA (Rocktown Now) — A tense, hours-long standoff ended peacefully early Monday morning after a man armed with an AR-15 style rifle barricaded himself inside a trailer on Virginia Avenue, prompting a large-scale police response and a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents.
The incident began around 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 26, when Harrisonburg Police Department (HPD) officers responded to reports of a man swinging a machete and behaving erratically in the 1200 block of Virginia Avenue. Upon arrival, officers encountered the suspect, later identified as 28-year-old Jason Mercado of Harrisonburg, who fled into a trailer occupied by two women.
Authorities quickly issued a shelter-in-place order for a quarter-mile radius around the scene, urging residents to remain indoors due to the potential threat. HPD deployed multiple units to the scene, including Patrol Officers, Major Crimes Detectives, the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. Negotiators established contact with Mercado and confirmed that the two women inside the trailer were unharmed and separated from the suspect.
Around 10:45 p.m., officers safely escorted the women from the residence and transported them to Sentara RMH for evaluation. Neither reported injuries.
Despite continued negotiations, Mercado refused to surrender. With concerns mounting over his erratic behavior and the presence of firearms in a residential area, police obtained a search warrant and evacuated nearby homes.
At approximately 1:20 a.m. on Monday, HPD SWAT officers, assisted by Virginia State Police, deployed gas into the trailer. Mercado exited shortly afterward and was taken into custody without further incident. He was evaluated by the Harrisonburg Rescue Squad and transported to the Rockingham-Harrisonburg Regional Jail.
Mercado faces two counts of felony abduction. Police credited the peaceful resolution to the coordinated efforts of multiple agencies, including HPD, the Harrisonburg Fire Department, Harrisonburg Rescue Squad, Virginia State Police, and Harrisonburg Public Works.
The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communication Center (ECC) issued a shelter-in-place order at approximately 3:15 p.m. directed at the affected neighborhood and nearby streets. This decision, made by law enforcement, aims to alert the public about a potential threat within their vicinity. Residents are advised to remain indoors in a safe place during a shelter-in-place order, and they should anticipate a substantial police presence in the area. Community members can register to receive these types of alerts by going online to https://harrisonburgva.gov/eas
