After an hours-long standoff with local authorities, an Alpharetta man who told 911 dispatchers he was being held captive and fired a semi-automatic handgun through walls of a south Forsyth townhome has been taken into custody by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

Blake Dru Prizio, 42, of Alpharetta, was arrested after multiple SWAT teams entered his townhome off Prestwyck Court in the Whittington subdivision, Tuesday afternoon, according to Cpl. Doug Rainwater, spokesman for the FCSO.

Prizio is charged with aggravated assault with a gun and reckless conduct.

The incident began at 9 a.m. when the sheriff’s office received several calls from a male subject who stated that he was being held against his will at an apartment in south Forsyth, Rainwater said.   

Rainwater said that they responded within minutes to the address with SWAT, a hostage negotiation team and other specialized units. Rainwater said deputies heard gunshots from a semi-automatic handgun coming from inside when they arrived on scene.

Rainwater said authorities attempted to contact the suspect to no avail. They put three cellphones through the front door. They used a camera-mounted robot to verify the apartment layout and that the suspect was alone and armed. They used tear gas to try to force the suspect out. Nothing worked

“We literally did everything we could to try to get him to out, and he just refused,” Rainwater said. “At some point, you have to say, that’s it.

SWAT teams from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and North Fulton entered Prizio’s townhome at approximately 4:10 p.m. and found him in an upstairs bedroom, Rainwater said. 

Authorities are still determining what sparked the situation, but Rainwater said they have not ruled out drug and alcohol intoxication or mental impairment. 

“Just based on his actions and mannerisms, it’s obvious that he was under the influence of some kind of narcotic, whether that be illegal or legal,” Rainwater said.

Prizio is being held at the Forsyth County Jail under $12,185, though Rainwater said that Prizio may be held longer if a judge orders psychological screenings.