Suspect in Benicia Standoff is the Same Person Who Shut Down Benicia-Martinez Bridge

A suspect who surrendered peacefully Thursday night after an 8-hour SWAT team standoff is the same Benicia resident who was arrested after closing off the Benicia-Martinez Bridge due to a bomb threat earlier this month, police said.

Police responded to the 300 block of East H Street to reports of Rodney Brinkerhoff, 54, claiming to be armed and threatening to harm a relative who lives with him around 3 p.m.

Upon arrival, the Benicia Police Department requested the help of the Solano County Sheriff’s Department Regional SWAT team and closed streets around the area, asking residents to stay inside their homes.

All southbound lanes on the Benicia-Martinez bridge were closed Friday after a man claiming to have a bomb threatened to jump. The 54-year-old Rodney Brinckerhoff was detained around 9 p.m. as the Walnut Creek Explosive ordinance team concluded there was no bomb.

Hostage negotiators talked Brinkerhoff into surrendering and at about 11:20 p.m., he was taken into custody.

No one was injured but officials found multiple loaded firearms in the residence.

Brinkerhoff was out on bail after being arrested on April 5 by the California Highway Patrol after closing the Benicia-Martinez Bridge for about four hours due to a bomb and suicide threat, in which bombs were never found.

No additional information was immediately available.

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