Jonathan D. Miller, the Libertarian candidate for North Carolina’s 16th Senate District in the suburbs of Raleigh, was arrested around 3 p.m. Monday after an armed confrontation with police in Cary. No shots were fired during the incident, according to local reports and police statements.

Cary police began investigating after receiving calls from people concerned about social media posts in which Miller allegedly threatened to harm himself. Officers attempted to contact him earlier in the morning before an officer encountered him during another welfare check in the 300 block of Glen Echo Lane.

Cary Police Chief Terry Sult said Miller had a firearm when the officer approached him and was ordered not to touch it. Miller allegedly picked up the weapon and fled toward the woods behind his apartment.

“At that point, he had a firearm. He was ordered not to touch it. He got it, and then he took off running,” Sult told reporters.

Miller gave a different account of the initial encounter during several phone calls with WRAL as he remained in the woods. He said he had been outside smoking when an officer noticed a revolver holstered on his hip and drew a weapon.

“I told him I was going to refuse that order, and I backed away slowly until I was far enough away from him to turn and run, and then I turned and ran into the woods,” Miller told the station.

During the standoff, Miller continued posting on X, describing his efforts to avoid capture and his conversations with a police negotiator. In one post, he wrote, “I’ve got six shots and the high ground. I hope they don’t find me, but if they do it’s going to be a hell of a show.”

Police monitored the posts while negotiators, the Wake Regional SWAT team and tactical medics responded to the scene. Glen Echo Lane and Audubon Park Drive were closed, and Resurrection Lutheran School was placed under a code yellow lockdown for part of the day, according to WRAL.

Miller told WRAL he was hiding because he did not want to be arrested and confined to a hospital. He said he hoped officers would eventually leave so he could get out of Cary.

Sult said Miller was still armed when officers took him into custody, although the chief did not identify the type of firearm involved. The chief also credited WRAL with assisting police, explaining that officers monitored the station’s conversations with Miller with his permission and provided guidance to the person speaking with him.

WRAL reported that Miller was charged with communicating threats, resisting officers, and going armed to the terror of the people. He was being held at the Wake County Detention Center. Police also obtained warrants charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to Sult.