Payson Roundup

A Payson man that shot at police more than 20 times during a nine-hour standoff Sunday morning is being held on $500,000 bond in a Gila County jail, authorities said.

On Tuesday, a complaint was filed in the Payson Justice Court against Michael Gene Robinson, 52, for four counts of attempted first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated assault.

According to Payson police, Robinson started shooting at officers from inside his home, in the 2700 block of Nicklaus Drive, because he thought they were Iraqis. No one was injured in the nine-hour standoff, but several bullets struck near officers and one hit a neighbor’s home.

Robinson’s wife and two of three children escaped from the home before the man barricaded himself inside the home and began shooting at police officers.

A 9-year-old child was released five hours into the standoff.

Payson police negotiators, using friends of the man, eventually talked Robinson out of the house.

A preliminary hearing has been set for Feb. 12 but could be canceled if the case is presented to a grand jury before the hearing, said Gila County Attorney Daisy Flores.