— By F. Scott Faulkner
SANTA BARBARA CA — A 46-year-old Santa Barbara woman was arrested on the morning of February 13th following a two-hour standoff with police on State Street—the city’s busiest commercial thoroughfare—involving the brandishing of multiple knives.
According to Santa Barbara Police Department Public Information Officer Bryan Kerr, at approximately 10 a.m., uniformed patrol officers responded to reports of “a woman armed with a knife” in the heart of the city’s heavily-trafficked tourist venue. Officers identified the woman as Amy Berry, 46, a resident of Santa Barbara.
When officers attempted to contact Berry, she fled on foot, heading southbound toward the beach area just seven blocks away. After a brief foot pursuit, she stopped, turned, and confronted officers, “holding a knife in each hand.” Berry then allegedly made verbal threats toward the officers while brandishing the edged weapons.
The Santa Barbara Police Department’s crisis negotiation and co-response teams arrived and made verbal contact with Berry as they implored her to desist in her threatening behavior. During the standoff, Berry “concealed multiple knives on her person and within her belongings.” Protracted verbal negotiations ensued, and Berry returned her knives to their concealed positions. Officers continued to engage her verbally until she was no longer holding any weapons. Once officers determined it was safe to approach, they used two ballistic shields to “take Berry into custody without injury to herself or others.”
Berry was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of criminal threats, resisting arrest, and possession of a dagger. Her bail was set at $50,000.
