AUBURN – A Laurel Avenue man was in a Boston hospital Tuesday night after he was hurt at the end of a police standoff last week at his home.

Police said 25-year-old Jason Smith was struck in the eye with a pepper ball fired from a police rifle after he confronted officers.

According to people familiar with him, surgeons at the Massachusetts hospital were attempting to save Smith’s eye.

In the early evening of Jan. 28, police were called to 29 Laurel Ave. where neighbors said Smith was harassing them, smashing things in the hallway and pounding on doors.

Before the night was through, Smith confronted police with a Samurai-type sword, and other residents were ordered to evacuate their homes, police said. The incident led to a standoff that lasted nearly six hours.

Police went to Smith’s third floor apartment at about 3:30 p.m. to give Smith a disorderly conduct warning. Neighbors said Smith was quiet for awhile, but at about 6 p.m., began smashing woodwork in the hallways, banging on doors and punching holes in the walls with the sword.

Officers returned to the home and spoke with Smith through the doorway.

Police Chief Phil Crowell said Smith was incoherent, reciting religious scripture and claiming to be a prophet.

Crowell said Smith opened the door just enough to display a long sword to the officers before he closed the door again.

Police then sought and obtained a search warrant to enter Smith’s attic apartment in order to take him into protective custody. It was not achieved quickly or easily, however.

Neighbors who live in the building said they were told to clear out of their homes about 9 p.m. It was nearly three hours before the standoff was over.

Deputy police Chief Jason Moen went to the scene, where he supervised the operation. Some officers watched Smith through a window while others prepared to burst through the door of his apartment.

Shortly before midnight, officers entered the apartment, where Crowell said they were confronted by Smith in a bedroom. Officers fired several pepper balls at Smith before he was disarmed, Crowell said. Police also used a Taser to subdue Smith.

“Smith was forced to the floor and continued fighting with officers,” Crowell wrote in a summary of the incident. “Smith was tasered with no effect. Officers had to pry his hands out from under his chest to get him secured in handcuffs.”

Crowell said it was discovered that Smith had been struck in the left eye by one of the pepper balls. Crowell did not say which officer fired the shot that struck Smith in the eye.

The severity of Smith’s injury could not be determined Tuesday night. Several sources said his eye was partially dislodged when he was struck. He was taken first to a Lewiston hospital and later moved to a hospital in Boston.

In Maine, the Attorney General’s Office is called to investigate incidents in which lethal force is used by police. However, since Auburn police used non-lethal techniques to subdue Smith, they were handling the investigation internally to determine whether their actions were in compliance with the department policies and procedures.

Police pepper ball guns are considered “less-than-lethal” weapons. Though the use of them does not typically result in death, misplaced shots can prove lethal. In Boston in 2004, a 21-year-old woman was killed after she was struck in the eye by a pepper ball fired by a police officer attempting to disperse an unruly crowd celebrating the Red Sox World Series win.

In regard to the shooting that injured Smith, Crowell commended his officers for their patience, which may have helped them avoid using deadly force.

“The officers demonstrated great constraint,” the chief said, “while being confronted by a person who was a danger to himself and others.”