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West Valley City • The man police say started an armed standoff and forced the evacuations of homes here surrendered on Friday. Blaine Whipp, 56, complied with police commands and peacefully walked out of his family home about 6:15 p.m., said West Valley City police Sgt. Mike Powell. Whipp had been holed up inside the home in the 4000 block of Ivana Street (5460 West) that he shared with his 86-year-old mother. About 2 p.m., police received a report of some kind of problem at the home, Powell said. When officers arrived, they learned there was a family fight and were told Whipp had threatened someone with a gun, Powell said. Officers removed three family members from the home but Whipp remained. At some point, Powell said, a gunshot was fired. Whipp's mother was returning home from a care center Friday when Whipp refused to let his mother and a brother inside, said Cindy Lundgren, a neighbor. Whipp has lived with his mother for many years, and Lundgren said she was unsure why he wouldn't want to let his family in.A SWAT team took positions around the house and officers deployed cameras mounted on tripods to help monitor the scene. About a dozen surrounding homes were evacuated while officers negotiated with Whipp. Children played behind yellow police tape and a fire engine that was standing by. Adults stood in the afternoon sun, wondering when they would get to go home. Rhea Stoddard, who lives on Ivana Street, ran some errands and returned to find her street cordoned. At first she was unable to contact her husband but soon learned he was still inside their house.Stoddard said has known Whipp for years and said she has never known him to be violent or threatening. "Other times he's friendly," Stoddard said. "Other times he acts like he doesn't know you." Police took Whipp into custody but he had not been booked into jail as of late Friday. ncarlisle@sltrib.com