Fugitive sparks Yonkers apartment building lockdown

Tenants of a Yonkers apartment building endured several terrifying hours Wednesday when police cornered a wanted fugitive. Police officers spotted the wanted man, Brian Pettiford, outside the Parkledge

News 12 Staff

Apr 23, 2008, 10:47 PM

Updated 6,006 days ago

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Tenants of a Yonkers apartment building endured several terrifying hours Wednesday when police cornered a wanted fugitive.
Police officers spotted the wanted man, Brian Pettiford, outside the Parkledge Apartments at 230 Yonkers Ave. before 11 a.m. Pettiford pulled out a gun and ran inside the building to escape, according to police. Officers and SWAT team members responded by locking down the building.
While authorities tried to apprehend Pettiford, Norada Thomas anxiously waited outside and worried about her mother and two small children. "I've been calling them every hour on the hour," Thomas said. "I told them stay away from the window and don't answer the door for anyone except for the police."
Some tenants initially thought the incident involved a bomb threat. No one was injured during the standoff.
Police managed to arrest Pettiford around 1:30 p.m., but said they did not recover a gun. Pettiford, who was wanted on three arrest warrants from earlier this year, is being held at a Yonkers jail.