KAPOLEI — An eight-hour standoff between police and an armed man barricaded in his home ended yesterday afternoon when the 52-year-old, described by police as a "domestic violence suspect" shot and killed himself with a pistol, police said.

No one else was in the home, police said.

Because the man was reported as being distraught and believed to be armed, police evacuated five surrounding houses and secured the area with nearly 40 SWAT officers, an armored vehicle, a robot and its command post van.

Police said the man was the owner of the house on Aukahi Street, but did not identify him by name. Public records and the neighborhood's postman identified the homeowner as Stephen Rowland, 52.

Police said the man's wife called the Police Department at 8:40 a.m. from a location outside the home to say her husband was distraught, and that she feared he might harm himself.

When District 8 patrol officers arrived at the home, the man refused to come out and phoned his wife to say he wanted police to leave, police said.

Some residents watched the events unfold.

Norman Kim, who lives in a house near the diamondhead end of Aukahi Street, described their tract, known as the Iwalani subdivision, as peaceful and quiet.

"Nothing like this has ever happened here before," he said.

Ed Caldwell, who lives on Mamaka Street, was sitting with a soft drink in hand on a white rocking chair under a palm tree in his yard as officers worked around the command post van parked at the corner of Mamaka and Aukahi streets.

"I just decided I was going to sit here in the shade and watch what's going on," Caldwell said. "I talked to one of the officers down there earlier. He said there's a man boarded up in a room with weapons and that's why they came."

Caldwell said he did not know the suspect.

Authorities closed off the two-block area on Aukahi Street between Halana and Mamaka Streets. "The reason we are here is that we have reason to believe there are firearms in the house and we need to assure that the community is safe," HPD spokesman Capt. Frank Fujii said.

The Specialized Services Division team arrived in less than 15 minutes after they were called in, said officer Elroy Paikai, because they happened to be at nearby Barbers Point Elementary School giving a demonstration. They immediately left the school and headed for Aukahi Street.

"If you had to ask what's our fastest response time ever, I'd say this is right at the top," Paikai said.

Postal Service mail carrier Coleman Peters, 52, has delivered mail in the neighborhood for five years. He said he knows every resident on his route, and was shocked and saddened by what transpired. Peters said he was well-acquainted with Rowland, whom he described as a "super friendly guy."

"I'm surprised," Peters said. "He's a very family-oriented guy. Always comes out and shakes my hand. We were the same age, so we'd talk about sports and things we were both interested in."

Police Capt. Alan Bluemke said HPD crisis negotiators were in contact with Rowland throughout much of the day, and at times it appeared as if he would surrender peacefully. However, he said communications broke off moments before the sound of a shot was heard from the home about 3:45 p.m.

At about 4:40 p.m., after determining the situation was safe, officers entered the house and found the man in an upstairs bedroom with "a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Bluemke said.

The man was pronounced dead at 4:50 p.m., city emergency services spokesman Bryan Cheplic said.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.