Man arrested after SWAT standoff at Midway Drive motel

Law enforcement was on the scene Wednesday morning to respond to a standoff in a motel in the Midway District that ended peacefully with the suspect’s arrest.

The San Diego Police Department had previously said that a man was barricaded in a room at the Bay Inn and Suites Sea World.

Around 30 to 40 members of law enforcement were present at the motel until the early afternoon, when the man surrendered and officers arrested him.

A 58-year-old man had allegedly forced his way into the room Wednesday without paying for it and then assaulted an employee who tried to roust him.

Police said the suspect allegedly attacked the manager with a bottle and a chair shortly after 8:30 a.m.

While reporting the alleged crimes, the victim, who had suffered minor injuries, told a 911 dispatcher he thought he had seen a gun in the room with the suspect, Sgt. Saum Poorsaleh said.

When officers showed up, the man allegedly retreated into the room and locked himself in. After trying in vain for about an hour to get the suspect to give himself up peaceably, police called in special weapons and tactics personnel.

The stalemate continued until officers fired concussion grenades and tear gas into the room, prompting the suspect to surrender.

It was not immediately clear if the suspect, who was expected to be jailed on suspicion of assault and burglary, had been in possession of a firearm or any other weapon.

Midway Drive had been closed to through traffic between East Drive and Wing Street due to the investigation, but the roads are now open.

No one was injured.

Photojournalist Adrian Childress contributed to this report.

Updated 6:50 p.m. Feb. 25, 2026