Gunman In Custody after 4-Hour Standoff on La Cumbre Road Bridge

Santa Barbara's morning commute is gridlocked after overpass incident shut down Highway 101, Calle Real and Modoc Road.

By Rob Kuznia and William M. Macfadyen, Noozhawk Staff Writers | Updated 9:15 p.m. | Published on 11.03.2008

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Santa Barbara police detectives search a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of La Cumbre Plaza, near the scene of a standoff with an alleged gunman on the La Cumbre Road overpass in the background. The man apprehended in the incident hung an American flag and an Obama-Biden yard sign on the bridge, which remain faintly visible on the fence.
Santa Barbara police detectives search a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of La Cumbre Plaza, near the scene of a standoff with an alleged gunman on the La Cumbre Road overpass in the background. The man apprehended in the incident hung an American flag and an Obama-Biden yard sign on the bridge, which remain faintly visible on the fence. (Rob Kuznia / Noozhawk photo)

After a nearly four-hour standoff that disrupted traffic for tens of thousands of Santa Barbara commuters Monday morning, an alleged gunman was taken into custody on the La Cumbre Road overpass near Calle Real just before 11 a.m.

Eddie Van Tassel
Eddie Van Tassel
Santa Barbara police Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte, a department spokesman, said Eddie Van Tassel, a 28-year-old Iraq War veteran, was arrested without incident after being ordered to remove his ski mask and military-style fatigues to ensure he had no other weapons. Van Tassel had surrendered his revolver at about 9:25 a.m.

No shots were fired during the standoff and no injuries were reported.

Also arrested was Aaron Jacob Levy, 33, of Santa Barbara, who police said drove Van Tassel to the scene with the intent of “accomplishing the task,” Duarte said in a statement. Both men were booked into the Santa Barbara County jail.

Van Tassel was arrested on suspicion of possession of a concealed firearm; possession of a dangerous weapon; conspiracy; resisting or delaying arrest; brandishing a firearm toward police officers; disturbing the peace; wearing a mask for the commission of a crime; and permitting another person to operate a vehicle without a valid license. He was also booked on charges of burglary, possession of a concealed firearm and brandishing a firearm for an unrelated incident Friday. (Click here for a related story.)

Levy was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit the brandishing of a firearm toward police officers; disturbing the peace; possession of a dangerous weapon; and driving with a suspended license.

Duarte said multiple 9-1-1 calls were received about 7:10 a.m. reporting a man with a gun and waving an American flag and other objects on the La Cumbre Road overpass at Calle Real and Highway 101 near La Cumbre Plaza. SWAT units and officers from SBPD, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol responded, quickly shutting down La Cumbre Road, Calle Real, the freeway and Modoc Road. Officers loosely surrounded the man, who was wearing a black ski mask and fatigues, and commenced negotiations with him.

For hours the suspect defiantly refused requests to surrender. About an hour after he put down his gun, he began fastening the flag and an Obama-Biden sign to the bridge fence as SWAT teams edged closer. Duarte said Van Tassel had made comments that indicated he was protesting the war in Iraq. As part of the negotiations, Duarte said, the man demanded an Obama-Biden sign. Officers located a sign nearby and delivered it to him using a bomb-squad robot.

An hour after the arrest, the flag and yard sign remained affixed to the fence. A team of investigators was combing a suspicious car that had been parked nearby at La Cumbre Plaza.

The overpass, Highway 101, Calle Real and Modoc Road were closed at about 7:15 a.m. The freeway’s morning commuter traffic had been backed up for miles in both directions but had thinned out by 10:30 a.m. as vehicles were rerouted at Las Positas Road on the northbound side and at Highway 154 and State Street on the southbound side. The volume of traffic gridlocked surface streets, however, and alternate routes such as State Street, Cathedral Oaks and Foothill roads and through Hope Ranch were reported at standstills all morning. Authorities asked that motorists stay away from the area if possible.

The commotion took a heavy toll on several nearby businesses and one of the worst hit was the Conserv gas station in the 100 block of South La Cumbre Road. Soon after the alleged gunman was spotted, a police blockade taped off the entrance to the station and directed traffic into La Cumbre Plaza across the street, to ensure safety as a bomb squad examined — and destroyed — a bag the man had left behind.

James Mitchell, a Conserv manager, said that by noon Monday the station had sold less than 100 gallons of fuel; under normal circumstances, he said, the station would have sold 2,000 gallons in the same period.

Mitchell said the suspect walked past the store wearing his ski mask. At one point, he even looked inside.

Santa Barbara police sealed off nearby streets, further snarling morning commuter traffic rerouted from Highway 101 below the La Cumbre Road overpass.
Santa Barbara police sealed off nearby streets, further snarling morning commuter traffic rerouted from Highway 101 below the La Cumbre Road overpass. (Rob Kuznia / Noozhawk photo)
“He waved and smiled at me,” Mitchell said. “I thought it was just a typical homeless guy.”

Not long after, Mitchell said swarms of police arrive at the scene. Meanwhile, Mitchell said, for about an hour, the man paced on the bridge, casually holding the pistol in one hand while waving an American flag with the other, shouting chants about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Across the street, at The Habit burger joint, manager Michael Vico said the store opened a half-hour late, at 11 a.m., because employees were stuck in traffic.

“We have five guys who get here at 8:30; they were an hour late,” he said.

About 200 yards away from the overpass, several bystanders lingered for as long as an hour after the man was apprehended.

Mike Peka, a construction boss who lives in the area, said the traffic was too jammed to go to work.

“Someone told me ‘There’s a madman on the bridge,’ and they saw it on TV,” he said, looking through a pair of binoculars toward a swarm police officers scouring the area around the bridge, possibly in search of other clues or potentially dangerous devices. “I said, ‘To hell with that, I’m going to go see for myself.’”

Police bomb squad officers prepare to probe and destroy a suspicious bag left behind by the suspect after his arrest on the bridge in the background.
Police bomb squad officers prepare to probe and destroy a suspicious bag left behind by the suspect after his arrest on the bridge in the background. (Rob Kuznia / Noozhawk photo)
Another onlooker, Danny Solis, said the gridlock prevented him from getting his daughter to nearby Vieja Valley School, 434 Nogal Drive, in the Hope School District.

“I called, and they said only half the school is there, and not to worry about it,” he said.

A Vieja Valley receptionist who asked not to be named said many students showed up late for school, but that attendance eventually reached normal levels.

At Hope School, 3970-A La Colina Road, Principal Barbara LaCorte said a few teachers got stuck in traffic. As a result she said she found herself teaching a first-grade class for about an hour.

“We fill in the holes really fast,” she said.

Throughout the morning, LaCorte said, students and teachers could hear helicopters flying overhead.

“We were in a semi-lockdown,” she said. “I don’t think we necessarily felt a threat. … We respond based on what the authorities tell us. We were prepared to do whatever they needed us to do.”

Barbara Keyani, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara School Districts, said all of the district’s schools were open and that administrators recognized that some students, staff and parents may have been caught in the traffic. Laguna Blanca School said late-arriving students at the Hope Ranch campus were excused.

Noozhawk staff writer Rob Kuznia can be reached at rkuznia@noozhawk.com. Publisher Bill Macfadyen can be reached at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com.

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» Bear Arming on 11.03.08 @ 05:45 AM

The US will continue to face unnecessary violence as long as gun worship is part of the culture. This is a sad comment on how people who don’t feel support by their community can turn to deadly alternatives to get attention.


» Cathedral Oaks... on 11.03.08 @ 05:53 AM

...is at a standstill going eastbound starting between Kellogg and Patterson as of about 8:45 this morning.  Nothing but brake lights.


» TY on 11.03.08 @ 06:07 AM

Nice comment bear arming. when he comes into your house with an illegal weapon(since he seems mindful of the law) you can bore him to death with ignorance.


» Goleta Man.... on 11.03.08 @ 06:08 AM

Why dont they just get a sniper to take care of it.
problem solved… Traffic flowing again. Then tomorrow everyone can vote.


» BB on 11.03.08 @ 06:13 AM

“Gun Worship” is hardly the issue here; this is not a gun issue at all, quite frankly. More than likely, the gun is just for attention, and not loaded, and the issue is that this is a man that was passed over by the waves of society relative to his mental health. This should not be a time for soapbox politics, to preach the evils of anything (such as guns, a sideways consequence to the real issue at hand) other than the strong warning for better care of thise with these mental health issues. The true shame here is that our Sheriffs and Police will have to house this person in a jail at least until he is tried, and then MAYBE he will get the help he needs. More than likely, he will not.


» Realist on 11.03.08 @ 06:15 AM

Bear Arming - I love your instant analysis -basically -” it is because the US is a horrible nation and that we have not supported this man.”

I was on Modoc for an hour and my thought and only thoughts were, “poor soul - this poor man - and a prayer that he gives in peacefully and gets the help he needs.

Of course, for Bear Arming - getting help is easier in maybe the Middle East where they are more open and kind.

Love your community and nation or step up and do something to help fix it.

Most of all grow up.


» A. E. on 11.03.08 @ 06:29 AM

to goleta man

Excellent idea.  I love your way of thinking.

how about a long range tazer for fun!!!


» sb traffic on 11.03.08 @ 06:34 AM

40 mins of traffic on hollister.  I’ve moved from patterson to turnpike.


» John Locke on 11.03.08 @ 06:41 AM

An armed society is a polite society.


» Taser's in use on 11.03.08 @ 07:41 AM

They can’t use the taser. Sarah Palin’s ex-brother-in-law is using it on her nephew.


» Praise Be Obama on 11.03.08 @ 07:46 AM

So the guy’s one of Obama’s kooks after all?


» Respect Him on 11.03.08 @ 07:47 AM

This guy deserves respect for his reported service in iraq.  He is properly pissed off at or nation and the strong left for turning their back on the armed services.  and making the protectors of our nation be demonized.  America is a Great nation and their are programs for taking care of our vets.  not all vets take the advice.  Is it so bad to slow the world down for a day to let one individual be heard?


» Why is KEYT still here? on 11.03.08 @ 08:01 AM

Thanks for the up-to-date reporting, Noozhawk. As usual, KEYT sucks. In fact, they’re actually OFF THE AIR! Every other channel is working but not 3. What losers.

Thank God for Noozhawk.


» Karl Rove on 11.03.08 @ 08:03 AM

This is all George W.‘s fault. Our veterans are just pawns in the military-industrial complex. VOTE OBAMA TOMORROW!


» Ric on 11.03.08 @ 08:14 AM

This takes the cake…an Obama supporter using a gun to disrupt peoples lives and Obama cult freaks use the opportunity to what…somehow turn this around?  Talk about hypocrits…the coops should have shot the s.o.b.!


» Gomer Pyle on 11.03.08 @ 08:22 AM

Surprise, surprise, surprise. It’s a Nobama supporter.


» RZ on 11.03.08 @ 08:22 AM

Damn….I carry a firearm…if only I was the first to arrive on the scene.  I’d have shot him dead, no hesitation. Self defense, don’t ya know.  One less Santa Barbara kook to deal with.


» TY on 11.03.08 @ 08:25 AM

Thanks for the comment KARL ROVE, are you seriously that deluded. Maybe if you would have served a day in uniform you would understand the presure put on our soldiers. But you take the freedom for granted and bash the people that provide it. This is why America is so great, no thanks to you.


» Santa Ynez on 11.03.08 @ 08:30 AM

Karl Rove…oh PLEASE! A mentally ill man standing on a freeway overpass is G.W’s fault???

Almost all of the people I know in the military WON’T be voting for obama tomorrow…


» A Bike Rider on 11.03.08 @ 08:43 AM

A bit of irony… The War he is protesting was mostly about our oil dependency, yet the traffic gridlock wasted thousands of gallons as people’s cars sat idling. I hope the man gets the help he needs, and then finds a more productive way to put forth his message.


» yerkidding on 11.03.08 @ 09:23 AM

Wow… why do Americans dislike the middle east so much? Judging by the comments here, you all have the same sense of justice.

...so, if he had been a McCain supporter would you still believe the way to resolve the situation would be to murder him?


» Reality on 11.03.08 @ 09:30 AM

This disturbed man clearly was not a real Obama supporter as the police had to provide him with an Obama-Biden sign that they found nearby.  It is amazing that some RW jackasses would use this sad situation as a political shouting point.


» Are you serious? on 11.03.08 @ 09:46 AM

“This disturbed man clearly was not a real Obama supporter as the police had to provide him with an Obama-Biden sign”

So because he wasn’t decked out in authentic Obama duds, he’s not a REAL Obama kook? Karl Rove’s already been on here blaming Bush. You people who have been drinking Obama’s Kool-Aid are just nuts.


» Hmmm... on 11.03.08 @ 10:10 AM

...how does a disturbed man on a bridge with a gun and an Obama sign inspire such deep political discussions? Funny how people will extract the information from a story like this in order to illustrate what they think is the most important issue…i.e. gun control, Obama vs. McCain, military personnel political preferences…

Note: Btw….who cares about the election at this point? Obama will be the next president of the United States of America, whether you like it or not. The voting is just a formality at this point.


» Clarissa on 11.03.08 @ 10:10 AM

this person needs to pay for all the loses involved with his behavior during those hours, not only for the time and service of the officers, but also for all the people that miss time at work. Whatever his goal was, his behavior affected all those who had to wait waisting time and money. Who is going to compensate them.


» PB on 11.03.08 @ 10:27 AM

Every one is so quick to blame the other person.  We should feel lucky that this kind of situation only happens to us once a year.  We should be thankful that we have cars to drive, water to drink and houses to keep us warm and safe. It does not matter who you vote for.  If you want to save the economy, buy products MADE IN THE USA.  If you want to save the planet buy food from the farmers market and if you want to support the troops spend some time with one who has been abroad.  Its easy to blame others, it takes a truly strong person to change their life and make a diffence in someone elses.


» Chrissie S. on 11.03.08 @ 10:30 AM

Having followed your reporting on this all morning, I was surprised to see you over at Trinity Episcopal Church afterward. Noozhawk really DOES get around!

[Editor’s note: Thanks. Just because I’m a member of All Saints Church doesn’t mean I can’t visit all of my good friends at Trinity! But I think I was coming out of Community West Bank across the street.]


» truth on 11.03.08 @ 10:36 AM

Jesus would wave a gun around and tell people to vote for Obama too.


» Vet Supporter on 11.03.08 @ 11:11 AM

In the world of the McCain Mavericks commenting on this story the hatred of this presumed Obama supporter is more important than the fact he is an Iraqui war vet.
McCain himself is a war vet who has seen what it can do to people. He knows there will be many returning from Iraq who will need help and assistance. You hypocrites can’t even handle one mentally usntable guy under a bridge because his actions made you late for your coffee and donuts at work. You are the reason McCain can’t win tomorrow. You are the ones who need the reality check.


» cot on 11.03.08 @ 11:12 AM

Should have known Noozhawk would be the first with comprehensive reporting on this news item.  But, what an unbelievable range of comments and so much half-cocked finger-pointing!  People’s brains appear to be fried at this point.  I pray the poor soul on the bridge gets the help he needs.  And, actually, I pray the commenters get the help they need, too.


» Sasha the Pasha on 11.03.08 @ 11:16 AM

Murders in Barak’s Hometown of Chicago through Oct 2008: 426.  U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq through Oct 2008: 282.  Protest that, nutty gunman.  I demand a complete withdrawl of all Americans from Chicago.  Americans are safer in Iraq than Chicago.


» Disgruntled Driver on 11.03.08 @ 11:39 AM

Where are the great photographs of the incident? Oh yeah. They don’t have a skilled photographer. Check out the photographs at the News-Press.


» empee on 11.03.08 @ 11:47 AM

Ask yourself.

If this man was your son, brother, father, uncle, and or friend.  Would you want him sniped or tazered or harm to come to him??  The fear based “terror screaming” of the media has warped our communities to being so afraid of one another that compassion is virtually gone from so many of these comments.  Brotherly love??? Where is that?  Sad thing is that most of these comments may come from people who claim to be good Christians.  So your day didn’t go as planned, big deal, it’s just a day.  Took me 3 hours to get into the office but so what.  Our lives go on.  The fear and anger in these comments is the real story here.  The real sign of our age and emotional development as a community.  Hope you all find it in your hearts to not fear one another.  The ripple is amazing from that.


» Local Joe on 11.03.08 @ 12:28 PM

Unfortunately SB County reduced the beds for mentally ill people. This display of mental illness may become more common if schizophrenics are not cared for.


» Wow on 11.03.08 @ 12:32 PM

How pathetic is it that Noozhawk “publisher” William M. MacFadyen has to write his own stories? For real coverage you should read the Santa Barbara News-Press.

[Editor’s note: At least I can write. Don’t you have a news budget meeting you need to attend, or is there no one left over there? Except photographers.]


» friend on 11.03.08 @ 01:17 PM

This individual is a friend of my family. He is a severely mentally ill vet in need of help.

[Editor’s note: Thanks for letting us know. Would you mind talking to Rob Kuznia about this? Click on the link above for Rob’s e-mail address. Thank you.]


» wow on WOW on 11.03.08 @ 01:51 PM

Uh… the Newspress web site never gets updated until about 9 in the morning.

What is to read there, regardless of how factually correct it may be.

I am sure the Newspress will have some nice, BIG photos, considering they have no writers who can even spell La Cumbre Road.

Today, the day prior to the most critical election in 40 years, the front of the Newspress, uh… News-less, features a big story about baby skunks.


» John Locke on 11.03.08 @ 01:59 PM

To all the anti-gun nuts:  the gun was not loaded.
To all the anti-Bush nuts:  it wasn’t Bush’s fault.
To all the anti-McCain nuts:  he’s not for McCain.
To those concerned about the man’s mental state and welfare:  Thank you.


» KB on 11.03.08 @ 02:03 PM

Oh, please, WOW. Noozhawk readers may have sidetracked into a political debate (It is that time of year, after all.) but whether we’re for Obama or McCain, I think we all agree Noozhawk’s got the best overall reporting. And if the SBNP is so great, what are you doing over here?!


» Hooray for Noozhawk on 11.03.08 @ 06:32 PM

For the best local coverage, Noozhawk is always there.  Others may try to imitate it, but no one can match their coverage.  Travis is just jealous and having his tantrum in public.


» brent strine on 11.03.08 @ 09:24 PM

So freaking what! You should have just shot him or sent him back to wherever he came from!


» Not willing to pay for online news... on 11.04.08 @ 03:31 AM

>>>Where are the great photographs of the incident? Oh yeah. They don’t have a skilled photographer. Check out the photographs at the News-Press.


You can’t check out the photos on the newspress site because they CHARGE for access other than the main page. Cheap bastards…


» John Locke on 11.04.08 @ 05:21 AM

Would that be Travesty Newswrong you refer to, of the Santa Barbara News-Suppress?


» Baffled on 11.04.08 @ 06:02 AM

Unless this guy had an endangered tiger with him the SBNP won’t cover it. The other day half the stories on the front page were about animals. God bless Marlin Perkins and the sbnp.


» CommonSense on 11.04.08 @ 06:09 AM

While I was trying to go to work via surface roads I realized that it was not that poor man on the bridge that bothered me, what really bothered me was seeing how erratic, unkind, impatient and out of controll my fellow road mates were. What happened to us?


» Tony Johansen on 11.04.08 @ 07:56 AM

Everyone still feeling good about the cut in funding for mental health services?  Welcome to the tip of the iceberg.


» Joan on 11.04.08 @ 10:54 AM

This is what we get when we ask our soldiers to go to war for us…..and then go again….and again! Hopefully our new President will put an end to this war and bring these guys home…for good.


» Joan on 11.04.08 @ 10:59 AM

This is for WOW….If we should all be reading the News Press…Why are you even here….reading NOOZHAWK?


» Judy Sims on 11.04.08 @ 02:35 PM

Our daughter called us from SB and said her State Street store where she’s a new employee couldn’t open until 12:00, as the manager was stuck in traffic.


» Serious Issues on 11.06.08 @ 07:31 AM

Yes, this man clearly has some mental issues but, it seems that everyone has missed the point of this sad story.  This was an act of terrorism, exactly what our soldiers are fighting against overseas, what Mr. Van Tassel fought againt in Iraq.  It doesn’t matter whether the gun was loaded or not, he had people scared.  That’s called terrorism, pure and simple.

This is a prime example of why gun control is needed in this country!  If we want to change the Constitution, we should start with the archaic Second Amendment.  There may have been a time and place for this back in 1791 but in this day and age, allowing the right to bear arms puts our citizens in more danger than the offer of protection.


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