A Waterville man was arrested after a dispute with his neighbor escalated into a standoff with police early Tuesday morning.

Just before midnight on Monday, James Childs, 42, and a neighbor in an apartment building at 56 Silver St. got into a verbal fight in which Childs threatened to retrieve a handgun from his apartment. He made good on the threat and, brandishing the handgun, made more threats through the door of the victim’s apartment, according to Sgt. Jason Longley of the Waterville Police Department.

The victim called police around midnight. When officers arrived, Childs went back into his apartment and refused to open the door, according to Longley.

Because Childs had a weapon, the police had to take extra precautions and employ the help of a negotiator, Longley said. Finally, around 2:30 a.m., Childs came out of his apartment and was arrested.

Childs was charged with threatening display of a weapon, creating a police standoff and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon. He was taken to the Kennebec County jail in Augusta and has since been released on bail.