A Portage man faces a number of felony expenses after he barricaded himself inside a Portage dwelling throughout a tense, three-hour standoff with cops Saturday.
The 39-year-old man was arrested and is being held within the Porter County Jail, pending formal expenses to be filed by the prosecutor’s workplace. Authorities workplaces have been closed Monday due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Portage police have been initially referred to as at 9:40 a.m. Saturday by a lady to the 3000 block of Dutch Mill Road on a report that her relative had battered her and destroyed her cellphone. A Portage Police launch detailed what occurred within the standoff that ended round 12:40 p.m.
The lady mentioned that her relative got here to her home and was “speaking loopy”. He then smashed her cellphone and pummeled her face and head along with his fists.
She was capable of break away and fled her home. She heard her relative proclaim that he would shoot anybody who entered the home.
The person was identified to be armed with a shotgun, handgun, sword and a number of other massive knives. The lady advised police that she suspects that he suffers from undiagnosed psychological well being points.
Patrol officers noticed the person in a second-floor bay window, putting a shotgun and ammunition alongside the window ledge. The person yelled threats on the officers and said he was going to fill the home with gasoline and blow it up.
The division’s Disaster Negotiation and SWAT groups have been activated and a big perimeter was arrange round the home. Makes an attempt have been made to contact the person by cellphone, however he both ignored the calls or when he did reply, would swear and make nonsensical statements.
Typically the person would go to the window and wave his sword or a knife whereas he screamed at officers. He refused orders to give up.
SWAT Workforce members deployed chemical brokers and the person tried to climb out a lower-floor window.
When officers got here towards him, the person retreated inside. Officers broke in by way of the entrance door and that’s the place they confronted him.
The person had a big knife in a sheath on his hip and refused to observe the officer’s instructions.
That’s when a SWAT Workforce officer fired a non-lethal impression projectile, incapacitating the person lengthy sufficient in order that he might be taken into custody.
A 12-gauge shotgun, sword and 5 massive knives have been recovered from the home. Officers additionally discovered ammunition saved in numerous areas on the highest ground of the home.
Captain Rob Maynard, public data officer for Portage Police, thanked the neighbors for serving to the sufferer and providing their houses to officers to be used as commentary and for warming functions throughout the incident.
Jim Woods is a contract reporter for the Submit-Tribune.
