Standoff Ends, No Arrests

***UPDATE 5:14 P.M.***A suspect remains on the loose tonight following an overnight standoff after Columbia Police decide to leave the scene.For more than three hours early this morning, officers tried to convince Stephen Mitchell to come out of his home on 1427 Bodie Drive. Police say Mitchell choked his pregnant girlfriend, and after the family was able to escape, the man threatened to shoot himself. When he refused to come outside, police left prompting neighbors to ask questions.One neighbor who wished not to be identified told ABC 17 News, “The police are outside and he needs to come outside with his hands up, and it was just like okay do something about this.”Police say they were worried they might aggravate the situation, and were concerned for their safety and Mitchell’s safety.Columbia Police Public Information Officer Latisha Stroer said, “Stephen Mitchell was inside the resident, that he had access to weapons inside the resident and had threatened to hurt himself.”Highway Patrol and Sheriff’s deputies assisted police in trying to get the man to give up. The suspect did not budge after three hours.”It was just like ok, do something about this,” the neighbor said. “I mean it was just a repetitive, ‘This is the Columbia Police, come out with your hands above your head,’ you know, and they wouldn’t do anything.”Stroer said, “Around 4:45 am the decision was made, since there was no threats to the victim, or threats to anyone other than himself, officers left the area.”The neighbor reports by that time others in the area were waking up and concerned for their safety. “I could just watch neighbors lights coming on and people had to leave to go to work and they’re trying to signal to police, can I leave, what do I do?”Stroer says at that time officers hadto first figure out what they were going to do. “It then becomes a decision that needs to be made; either they’re going to go in, or they’re not going to go in,” Stroer said. “They’re looking at officer safety, knowing that he had potential to be armed, he wasn’t making any threats to officers, to anyone else, so they made the decision to leave the residence.”Police say they’ve filed a warrant for Mitchell’s arrest, and are actively looking for him.***UPDATE 4:11 A.M.***The standoff on Bodie Drive has ended peacefully with no injuries and no arrests. Police at the scene told ABC 17 News it started when a woman at the town home called police to say a man there had hit her. The woman told officers the man was suicidal and had threatened her life, and that he had two guns with him.Officers got the woman and two kids in the home out safely; they later determined the man is not a threat to anyone and cleared the scene at that point. No arrests were made.***ORIGINAL STORY***Right now law enforcement in Columbia are on the scene of a standoff on Bodie Drive. It’s unclear what started the standoff or who is in the town home where deputies and police officers are staging. Our team on the scene says officers are putting on what looks to be extra gear and armor, possibly preparing to enter the home.Stay with abc17news.com and watch ABC 17 News This Morning for the latest on this developing story.