NEWPORT NEWS

A man who, police allege, ordered a dog to attack an officer was arrested early today after a brief chase from a residence where he had barricaded himself for several hours with four children.

Lou Thurston, a police spokesman, said the man was captured after a short foot pursuit just after 4 a.m. The officer, who was bitten earlier by the dog, was not seriously hurt.

Police have charged Al Breon McKierman, 22, with felony assault on a police officer, obstruction of justice and two counts of assault on a family member. He was being held without bond early today pending a court appearance.

Thurston said the incident began about midnight after a pregnant woman called 911 to report a domestic dispute in the 600 block of 29th St. She said she had been assaulted and that her 13-year-old son also had been attacked.

The woman had escaped the residence but the man was still in the home along with the 13-year-old and three younger children, Thurston said.

Soon after police arrived to check on the situation, Thurston said the man commanded a dog to attack an officer, which it did.

With that, police called in SWAT team officers and other heavily-armed police surrounded the residence. Thurston said police also received reports that the man might have access to a gun.

No shots were fired, but it remained uncertain for hours if any of the children inside might have been harmed, so police sought to establish communications with the man.

Police negotiators were able to make telephone contact with him in hopes of resolving the standoff peacefully, Thurston said. But he said the discussions were "on and off again."

The situation came to a sudden end about 4:15 a.m. when the man bolted from the residence in an attempt to escape. But a tactical officer caught up with him, Thurston said.

A brief struggle ensued and the officer had to use a chemical spray to subdue the man until other officers reached them and helped to make the arrest.

All the children were found safe in the residence, Thurston said, and were able to remain there. The woman, whose name was not released and who had not been hurt, returned.