Fairhope Standoff Situation Over at Ravenite Pizzeria

Update 5:15
Mr. Gambino was taken into custody at 10:08 A.M without incident. There were no reported injuries. He was charged with reckless endangerment and booked into the Fairhope Municipal Jail. He was later transported to the Baldwin County Jail and immediately transferred to Searcy Hospital.

A Swat team used tear gas to end the standoff situation. Authorities identified the suspect involved in the Fairhope standoff as Rich Gambino, the owner of the Ravenite.

Update 9:30 a.m.
A military tank escorted by police has made its way to the scene near the Ravenite Pizzeria on Section Street.
News 5 has confirmed that there is person inside. His identity is not being released and there are no other hostages but the man does have weapons inside.

Fairhope Police have blocked access to Section Street in Downtown Fairhope, from Oak Street to Magnolia Street. City offices are closed. The K-1 Center is under a precautionary lockdown.

Police are dealing with an emergency situation in the Ravenite Pizzeria, near the police station. They have closed a few blocks of Section Street for the time being. You will need to take an alternate route.

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FAIRHOPE POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
DATE: November 24, 2009
SUBJECT: Barricaded Suspect

On Tuesday November 24, 2009, at approximately 1:21 A.M., the Fairhope Police Department received a phone call stating that the Ravenite Restaurant was possibly on fire. Officers responded along with the Fairhope Volunteer Fire Department. They contacted the owner, Richard Gambino, inside and discovered that there was no fire and no emergency existed. The emergency responders left the restaurant. At approximately 2:16 A.M., the police were again called to the restaurant for a disturbance. When they arrived they found Mr. Gambino burning items in a sink. The items were personal property, and the officers determined that his actions lacked probable cause for an immediate arrest. At 4:07 A.M., the police department was notified that Mr. Gambino had made statements that he was going to harm himself and had locked himself inside the restaurant. He told the responding officers that he had a weapon and threatened to use it, and he also threatened to destroy the entire restaurant by means of an explosion using gas utilities. At this point the incident was treated as a barricaded suspect. There were no other persons inside the restaurant. Officers from the Daphne Police Department, Foley Police Department, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation responded to the scene to assist. The gas supply to the restaurant was cut-off. At 10:08 A.M., members of the Fairhope Police Department’s Emergency Response Team entered the restaurant through the rear door. At the same time, other Fairhope officers, along with an armored vehicle from the F.B.I., approached the front. Mr. Gambino was taken into custody without further incident. There were no reported injuries. He was charged with reckless endangerment and booked into the Fairhope Municipal Jail. He was later transported to the Baldwin County Jail and immediately transferred to Searcy Hospital.

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