Two separate police standoffs ended peacefully Friday in Jennings, including one involving a father who barricaded himself inside a home with three young children.

Gerald J. Williams, 24, of Jennings, was arrested after he barricaded himself inside an apartment with his three children ranging in ages six-months-old to 4-years-old, according to Police Chief Danny Semmes.

Police were called to the apartment complex on Florence Street in Jennings shortly after noon Friday to assist the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, Semmes said.

DCFS officials and police had received reports of the younger children playing outside while the six-month-old was screaming inside the residence, he said.

“Officers were assisting the DCFS while they were attempting to question the man when he took his children inside the home and barricaded himself,” Semmes said.

Williams refused to allow officers to intervene and made threatening comments, he said.

A SWAT team was called out and was able to establish a line of communications with Williams, he said.

The standoff ended with the safe recovery of the three children and Williams being taken into custody by police.

He was charged with three counts of child desertion and one count of obstruction of justice.

The second incident began around 7:30 p.m. Friday when police were called to a local hotel in reference to a military veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) threatening to harm himself.

Police were unsure if the man had any weapons and forcibly breached the room, according to Semmes. The man was taken into custody without incident and transported for medical attention.

The unidentified man is in his mid-30s and is from out-of-state, Semmes said.

No charges were filed.