HALE'IWA — Honolulu police closed the Joseph P. Leong Highway outside Hale'iwa for about three hours yesterday during a standoff with an armed 51-year-old-man police say had fired shots during a domestic dispute.

Police Capt. Frank Fujii said that at 8:27 a.m., police received a 911 phone call from a woman who reported a family argument was in progress at a pig farm about a mile east of the bypass road.

"She also reported that during this argument a firearm was discharged," said Fujii, who described the caller as a family member. "Officers responded and secured the area. And while they were awaiting the arrival of the specialized services officers, they heard another gunshot being fired."

Fujii said the man had fled into a bushy area near the farm when the SWAT team arrived and took up position. At around 10:20 a.m., Fujii said, the man gave himself up without incident and was taken to the Wahiawa police station and booked on suspicion of first-degree reckless endangerment, Fujii said.

Fujii said the scene was tense leading up to the surrender.

"It was a very dangerous situation," he said. "Gunshots were fired. We knew the area had some residents, so we needed to take every precaution we could to make sure that the community was safe."

Reckless endangering is a class C felony. If charged and convicted, the suspect would face up to five years in prison.

Joann Sato, who operates a dog kennel near the pig farm and who was evacuated from her place by police, said the gunman was August Kaupe. She said the younger sister of Kaupe had come running to her home shortly before 8:30, calling for help. Sato said the girl, who she said is in her teens, is the daughter of James Kaupe, who rents the pig farm. August Kaupe helps with the operation, she said.

"I was out in the kennel and the daughter comes running in and said something about the father and son are arguing, and the son got really mad and said he was going to shoot," said Sato. "She wanted me to help, and said something about calling the police. And I told her my husband wasn't here. And then she came out and waited for the police."

Sato said the family dispute had escalated from an earlier confrontation between August Kaupe and another neighbor over the neighbor's dogs. She said Kaupe had been upset because he complained the neighbor hadn't kept his dogs tied up and they had come over and fought with Kaupe's dogs.

Somehow, that incident led to the argument between the elder Kaupe and his son.

"If you want my opinion, this was all about the dogs," said Sato, who described Kaupe as "pretty decent." She said that there hadn't been trouble between him and his dad before that she was aware of.

"It just mounted up. This whole thing is kind of sad."

Kaupe has no previous felony arrests.

The Hale'iwa bypass highway remained closed until 11:30 a.m., when it was opened to southbound traffic. The road was opened to northbound traffic about 15 minutes later.

Fujii described the situation as "very fluid" during the standoff, but said the priority throughout the incident was making sure the public was safe.

"We're just glad he gave up," said Fujii. "It could have been a lot worse."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.