Standoff on Max Street comes to a close

The standoff between Asheville Police and Lamonte Monsanto, 41, came to a close at 10:17 a.m., nearly 24 hours after police attempted to initially contact Monsanto. Police were called to the scene early yesterday to investigate an incomplete 911 call stating several shots had been fired from Monsanto’s Max Street apartment.

At 9:30 a.m., following an unsuccessful overnight negotiation, police went inside the apartment to locate the unresponsive resident. A Smith & Wesson .44 caliber revolver and ammunition were located in the apartment by APD Emergency Response Team, according to a statement from the police department.

After being detained, Monsanto was transported to Mission Hospital for treatment of possible hypothermia and a mental commitment evaluation.

Following his release from the hospital, Monsanto was taken to the Buncombe County Detention Facility and charged with two counts of discharging a firearm within the city limits.

His bond is set at $40,000.

“APD’s Emergency Response Team and Crisis Negotiation Team were on the scene for many hours in bitter cold temperatures attempting to negotiate a safe resolution,” reads a statement from APD. “Chief Anderson would like to thank the Buncombe and Henderson County Sheriff’s Offices for their assistance during this prolonged incident.”

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About Hayley Benton
Current freelance journalist and artist. Former culture/entertainment reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times and former news reporter at Mountain Xpress. Also a coffee drinker, bad photographer, teller of stupid jokes and maker-upper of words. I can be reached at hayleyebenton [at] gmail.com. Follow me @HayleyTweeet

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