WORCESTER — A Lovell Street man faces multiple charges after neighbors said he threatened them with a weapon and yelled racial slurs.

William Palmer, 35, of 98 Lovell St., Apt. 2, was arrested early Monday morning after negotiations with police who had set up a perimeter outside his apartment house.

Police were called to 98 Lovell St. at 10:28 p.m. Sunday by a neighbor who reported that a man there was threatening people with a gun, according to a report filed with court records. When police arrived, the neighbor told police he had been outside the apartment building when Mr. Palmer began yelling out his window, challenging the victim, using racial slurs and threatening to shoot him in the head. As the confrontation escalated, Mr. Palmer came downstairs and opened the trunk of his vehicle.

The victim told police he believed he then heard Mr. Palmer load a firearm and shout, "I've got something for you." Mr. Palmer then returned to his house, but continued to make threats, according to the report. Around that time the victim's wife and two children came downstairs to leave the house. The woman told police that after they got in their car, Mr. Palmer directed racial slurs at them, and threatened to shoot them if they did not leave.

Police negotiated with Mr. Palmer until he came outside and surrendered at 1:42 Monday morning.

A search produced a .32-caliber bullet in Mr. Palmer's pocket, police said. No gun was found to match the bullet, but when Mr. Palmer's apartment was searched, police said, they found two BB guns resembling pistols.

Mr. Palmer was charged with four counts of violation of civil rights, four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (handgun), and possession of ammunition.