Standoff Near Antioch Schools Ends with Rooftop Arrest of Armed Suspect
– By Jim Emerson
ANTIOCH,CA — Police made a rooftop arrest of a man armed with throwing knives typically used for
target practice competitions.
Derek Bradshaw, 40, of Antioch, was apprehended following a standoff
near three schools. Bradshaw was placed under arrest on April 8 at 4:30 p.m.
No injuries were reported involving the nearly three-hours standoff. Carmen Dragon Elementary, Black
Diamond Middle and Deer Valley High schools, reportedly were not affected by the standoff. Nearby
residents were advised to shelter in place.
Bradshaw was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility at 8:42 p.m. He remains behind bars in lieu
of $40,000 bond. He is charged with brandishing a deadly weapon and making criminal threats. He is
scheduled to appear for arraignment on April 17.
The standoff started when Antioch police responded to a single-family house on the 5200 block of
Catanzaro Way. A caller reported that a man there pulled a knife and threatened to kill another man.
As officers arrived at the scene, Bradshaw barricaded himself inside, and the standoff began.
Bradshaw next climbed onto the pitched roof of the two-story house. Officers and crisis negotiators
took nearly three hours to convince him to surrender.
Meanwhile, Bradshaw had three or four throwing knives in his possession, according to police.
Throwing knives are designed with sharp dart-like blades to penetrate surfaces as dense as wood.
A tactical police team used climbing equipment to hoist themselves onto the roof, while negotiators
distracted Bradshaw. Officers cornered Bradshaw and quickly grabbed his arms and wrists, pinning
him down, before he could reach for any knives.
Incidentally, Bradshaw was also arrested at the same residence on March 12, and charged with
misdemeanor battery on person. He was released from custody that time on his own recognizance.
Photo: Stock Image
