Police were called to the scene of an assault on the 2900 block of Doris Street in West Anchorage at 3:25 am on Sunday morning.

Police received a 911 call early Sunday from a woman reporting that another woman was coming up the stairs to beat them up. It was reported that the woman had assaulted the caller’s aunt and had threatened the woman with a knife. After the call, the woman, her aunt and two children were able to escape the residence.

The woman, identified as 32-year-old Amy Paniptchuk, moved to a lower level of the duplex as police arrived.

In a news release, Anchorage police stated, “Paniptchuk continued to be uncooperative, claiming to have a pistol and threatening to shoot herself and the officers. At various times Paniptchuk made comments about someone shooting her ‘if she has to make them.’ Around 4:00 AM responding officers started taking precautionary steps to protect the safety of bystanders by evacuating the occupants of residences to the north and south of the suspect’s location.”

SWAT was called in at 4:30 am.

The stand-off continued throughout the early morning hours, with Paniptchuk refusing to come out and giving up. She had informed police that she would rather be put in the morgue. Then about a half an hour prior to police administering tear-gas to the residence, Paniptchuk informed police that she was “locked and loaded and ready to come out.”

Tear gas was released at 8:30 am.

The gas prompted Paniptchuk to exit the building. But, immediately upon her exit she leveled what appeared to be a handgun at the officers and officers took cover.

In the following moments, police realized that the weapon that Paniptchuk was holding was in fact an Airsoft air pistol. The woman was immediately subdued and placed under arrest. She was found to be intoxicated.

Paniptchuk was charged with Assault IV, and two counts of Assault III. Paniptchuk has two prior felony convictions for Weapons Misconduct and a violent past criminal history with several assaults according to court documents.