Photo: Stock Image
NOVATO — Reports of a wild axeman breaking windows resulted in the arrest of Bjorn N. Schwindt, 28, of Novato. Schwindt was booked into Marin County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Unemployed Schwindt was taken into custody on September 27 at his Gustafson Court residence. He was picked up at 9:03 a.m., as he was arriving home, following disturbances downtown earlier that morning. He was arrested in his driveway.
“Axeman” was initially reported breaking windows at a business near First Street and Grant Avenue. A second caller reported seeing the axeman near Seventh Street and Grant Avenue. A third caller reported vandalism near Winding Way.
Next, an off-duty firefighter reported he encountered a man who brandished an axe at him. Schwindt was soon identified as the suspect and officers arrived at his residence at the same time as him.
Officers observed Schwindt exiting his car carrying an axe and a pipe in his hands. When the suspect saw the police, he ran into his home and barricaded himself inside. Additional Novato officers responded to the scene and nearby residents were evacuated.
San Rafael police and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office also responded to this high-risk situation. The suspect reportedly inflicted injuries to himself, before peacefully surrendering to a specially trained negotiating team.
Schwindt received medical treatment before being transported to the county lockup at 2 p.m.
He was booked on open charges for –
- Assault with a deadly weapon not a firearm
- Exhibiting a deadly weapon not a firearm
- Vandalism
- Obstructing/resisting an officer
