Police activity shuts down Loch Raven Blvd; Man in custody following barricade

BALTIMORE (WMAR) - UPDATE | A man has been handcuffed and taken into police custody at the scene of the barricade situation in Northeast Baltimore.

Baltimore City Police have blocked off Loch Raven Blvd between Northern Parkway and Regester Avenue.

ABC2 News crews on the scene report that the majority of police activity is in the 6400 block of Loch Raven Blvd at the Kirkwood House senior living facility.

Some of the people who live there are being evacuated from their homes for safety.

According to Anthony Guglielmi, spokesperson for the Baltimore City Police Department, officers responded to the high-rise apartment building around 8:30 p.m. 

Guglielmi confirms that the suspect blasted a makeshift flamethrower.  Police fired shots back, but the bullets missed the suspect.

According to Chief Kevin Cartwright, spokesperson for the Baltimore City Fire Department, crews originally responded to the scene for a report of a shooting.

Upon arrival, they realized that there had not been a shooting, Cartwright said. 

Crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire, and two units remain on the scene for safety precautions. 

The suspect is barricaded in their apartment, and the police tactical team is now handling the incident, Guglielmi says.

There is no word on if anyone was injured, but medical crews are on stand by.