A 39-year-old man was arrested Sunday morning after a standoff with police in Waterloo that lasted several hours.

Police Chief Tim Donahue said Rodney Schindler went to his ex-mother-in-law's apartment on Cedar Drive intending to harm his former wife, who was not at the apartment. She is out of state and has a protection order against him.

Schindler assaulted the mother and held her in the apartment. The mother was able to get a text message to her daughter who called police.

Police surrounded the apartment at 11:30 p.m. Saturday. The mother soon escaped through a window to waiting officers. She was taken to the hospital and treated for a minor head injury and bumps and bruises sustained in the ordeal.

Schindler found a gun that was in the apartment and fired it. During the standoff, he reportedly tried to throw furniture down the stairs at officers.

Nebraska State Patrol hostage negotiators talked with Schindler and by 5 a.m. he surrendered without incident.

Schindler was charged with false imprisonment, making terroristic threats, violation of a protection order and felony destruction of property.