Man facing assault charges after standoff in Charlestown

CHARLESTOWN, R.I. (WLNE) — The Charlestown Police Department said a man is facing charges after an hours-long standoff on South County Trail on Tuesday.

This is a photo of Charlestown police cruisers in front of a home on South County Trail where a man with a gun was allegedly making threats. (WLNE)

According to police, James Slier, 57, is charged with domestic simple assault and battery, domestic vandalism and domestic disorderly conduct after he was arrested and arraigned at an area hospital.

Officials said at approximately 3:00 p.m., Charlestown police got a call from a woman who said her ex-boyfriend, identified as Slier, was intoxicated and experiencing a crisis.

The woman further told police that he was acting violently and was last seen with a long gun making threats to harm himself.

Officers from Charlestown, Westerly, Richmond, South Kingstown, Environmental Police and Rhode Island State Police quickly responded and stopped traffic, established a safe perimeter around Slier’s home on South County Trail.

This is a photo of officers armed outside a home on South County Trail in Charlestown where a man with a gun was making threats. (WLNE)

At approximately 4:30 p.m., crisis negotiators were able to get in contact with Slier and convinced him to leave the house unarmed and surrender himself to police.

Slier was then taken to South County Hospital for evaluation. An unloaded long rifle was also seized from inside the home.

Slier was arraigned in the hospital on $1,000 bail and a domestic no contact order was issued.