SLIDELLL - Authorities engaged in an eight-hour long standoff with a suspect who'd barricaded himself in a Slidell-area home on Wednesday (Dec. 16), officials say.

According to representatives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office (STPSO), 73-year-old Gerald Maxey was finally taken into custody shortly before 3:30 p.m.

The incident that ended in Maxey facing off with a local SWAT team was precipitated by a Sunday (Dec. 13) morning incident. Maxey, who owns more than one pig at his John Drive home in the River Gardens neighborhood, reportedly allowed the animals to run loose in the area. As a result, deputies were dispatched to his home to help round up the pigs, but when the deputies tried to speak with Maxey about the matter he reportedly got upset and threatened them.

Officials took Maxey's threats seriously and a warrant was issued for his arrest on one count of simple assault, deputies say. They add that matters worsened when a deputy returned to the River Gardens neighborhood early Wednesday morning, in a second attempt to apprehend the man's loose pigs.

According to a news release from the STPSO, this is when Maxey grabbed a gun and fired at the deputy. The deputy was reportedly unharmed, but his vehicle was hit. 

After firing at last one shot at the deputy, the 73-year-old then barricaded himself in his home from just after 7 a.m. until nearly 3:30 p.m., when a SWAT team managed to arrest him.

STPSO says Maxey was booked into Parish Prison on charges of attempted murder of a police officer, resisting arrest, and simple assault.