An assault suspect tried to avoid police in Colorado by climbing a tree and staying there for hours.

The 30-year-old man camped out in the Colorado Springs tree for about five hours, climbing down after police used tear gas and sprayed him with water.

Lane Malouff was wanted on suspicion of assaulting the mother of his children and trying to strangle her in June in the small southern city of Alamosa, police said.

During the stand-off, officers did not know if Malouff was armed and evacuated several nearby homes as a precaution.

But residents seemed more amused than alarmed - a crowd formed along the line of crime tape, with many taking videos and photos, news station KKTV said.

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