Man charged with drug possession, resisting arrest in viral Hagåtña incident | News

A man who was involved in a tense standoff with police in Hagåtña after being accused of threatening a BankPacific employee was charged in local court on Tuesday.

Joseph David Calvo Atalig of Talo'fo'fo' was arrested after nearly an hour of unsuccessful negotiations for his surrender, the GPD said on Monday.

On Tuesday, Atalig was arraigned in the Superior Court of Guam on charges of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (a third-degree felony), resisting government authority (a misdemeanor) and disturbing the peace and harassment (a petty misdemeanor), according to a justice of the peace's complaint.

Videos of the standoff were widely shared on social media Monday morning, with one showing police officers pointing their guns at a vehicle near Carabao Brewing in Hagåtña. Another showed officers breaking the car windows to get into the vehicle.

According to the complaint, police received a report of a person possibly armed with a gun outside BankPacific in Hagåtña. When officers arrived, they encountered an employee who said she knew Atalig and that he had access to guns because she saw him holding a gun to his head, the documents state.

On Monday, Atalig left a voicemail on the woman's phone saying “Today is the day!” Atalig threatened to make a scene at the bank and sent WhatsApp messages saying “Is that how you want to do it?” and “You could have prevented this by just talking to me. I'm coming in now,” the complaint states.

The woman said she was afraid Atalig would make a scene with the gun she had previously seen in his possession.

The police carried out an initial check of the area but could not find Atalig.

At about 10:34 a.m., police found Atalig on Aspinall Avenue near Carabao Brewing. He was locked in his vehicle with the windows partially open. He said he was going to die today and police had to shoot him, documents say.

Police blocked off roads with their vehicles and instructed numerous motorists to take alternate routes. BankPacific was cordoned off and several nearby stores were closed for safety reasons. Customers and employees were evacuated, the complaint states.

Police repeatedly asked Atalig to leave the vehicle, but he refused, saying, “Shoot me, Sergeant” and “I'm going to die today,” the documents say.

Members of the Special Operations Division approached the vehicle and ordered Atalig to unlock the car. He refused. After numerous orders were refused, the police decided to break into the vehicle.

Police broke the passenger window and Atalig indicated he wanted to drive away and put the car in reverse, the complaint states. Police managed to put the vehicle in park and detain Atalig until other officers removed Atalig from the vehicle. He was arrested at about 11:04 a.m.

The police discovered an improvised glass pipe in plain sight in the cup holder of the center console. A small bag in the driver's door contained a crystalline substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine, the complaint states.