Police surrounded an RV at a South Jersey Walmart — and the standoff lasts to next day

🚨Police surrounded an RV in the Lumberton Walmart parking lot

🚨A robbery turned into a barricade situation

🚨The standoff lasted 14 hours and ended peacefully

LUMBERTON — Police surrounded an RV in the parking lot of a Walmart late Monday night in a tense standoff that came to a peaceful end 14 hours later.

Lumberton police said a dispute between two individuals in the parking lot of the Walmart on Route 38 around 11 p.m. led to a robbery. The suspect in the case, Blake Reed, 38, of Florida got into a recreational vehicle and then refused to come out or communicate with police.  Reed was believed to have a flamethrower and a knife inside the RV, according to police.

A trained crisis negotiator and mental health professional was brought to the scene and began a dialogue with Reed, according to police.   Video showed at least seven police vehicles in the parking lot around a large RV with a small trailer.

Law enforcement sources told New Jersey 101.5 Reed is a carnival worker. Court records listed Reed as "homeless."

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Video showed police dismantling the RV from an armored vehicle. Police at one point flew a small drone into the RV and used robots outside.  Reed sprayed paint on the robots, the source said.

Reed was found hiding in an engine compartment when he was taken into custody by the State Police TEAMS Unit around 3 p.m. He was charged with robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, certain persons not to possess a weapon, and obstruction.

Reed suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. No one else was injured during the standoff.

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