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Wednesday, 11 February 2009 |
By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
A three-hour standoff ended with a Wapakoneta man transported to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima shortly before midnight today.
Gary Herr, 54, suffered a self-inflicted knife wound to the neck when members of the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team entered the residence at 702 Cass St. and found Herr lying on a bed in a bedroom. Wapakoneta Police Chief Dave Webb said Herr had lost a substantial amount of blood when he surrendered peacefully.
“In a situation like this, it is safety first for both parties,” Webb said at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Johnston and Lima streets. “In a situation like this, we are doing what we can to ensure the safety of our law enforcement officers and the safety of the person involved.”
There was no one else in the house.
“After approximately a half-hour of trying to contact the man by phone, we had some movement in a back bedroom and a decision was made to go in,” Webb said. “Entry was made and we located him on the bed in the back bedroom. It was apparent he suffered what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound to the neck and there was quite a bit of bleeding. Rescue squad personnel attended to him, and we had no resistance.”
Webb credited all the officers, especially the Special Response Team By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
A three-hour standoff ended with a Wapakoneta man transported to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima shortly before midnight today.
Gary Herr, 54, suffered a self-inflicted knife wound to the neck when members of the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team entered the residence at 702 Cass St. and found Herr lying on a bed in a bedroom. Wapakoneta Police Chief Dave Webb said Herr had lost a substantial amount of blood when he surrendered peacefully.
“In a situation like this, it is safety first for both parties,” Webb said at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Johnston and Lima streets. “In a situation like this, we are doing what we can to ensure the safety of our law enforcement officers and the safety of the person involved.”
There was no one else in the house.
“After approximately a half-hour of trying to contact the man by phone, we had some movement in a back bedroom and a decision was made to go in,” Webb said. “Entry was made and we located him on the bed in the back bedroom. It was apparent he suffered what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound to the neck and there was quite a bit of bleeding. Rescue squad personnel attended to him, and we had no resistance.”
Webb credited all the officers, especially the Special Response Team members, for the situation ending without incident.
“The situation here ended well because everyone came out alive,” said Sheriff Al Solomon, who also responded to the scene.
Solomon said the neighbors cooperated with law enforcement officials and stayed back allowing them to do their job.
The standoff started after Wapakoneta Police officer Jeff Eisert and Wapakoneta Rescue Squad personnel responded to the house after dispatch received a 911 call at 8:44 p.m. to a report of a man suffering from a self-inflicted injury.
Webb said when Eisert approached the house a man came out brandishing a weapon, prompting Eisert and emergency medical service personnel to back away from the house.
“When officer Eisert arrived at the residence, the man was holding a weapon while standing at the door,” Webb said. “He advised rescue squad personnel to stay back.”
The police chief said the weapon was not a firearm and law enforcement officers did not believe the man had guns in the house.
Deputies with the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, troopers with the Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Cridersville Police Chief John Drake provided mutual aid at the scene.
Law enforcement officers cordoned off the Cass Street residence at Wood Street, Anna Street, North Pine Street and Lima Street. Officers did not evacuate the area. Neighbors were permitted to stay in their homes, but a couple of residents had to park their vehicles on the street away from the area.
Auglaize County Common Pleas records show Herr is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing at 9:30 a.m. Thursday for two counts of abduction, third-degree felonies, and one count of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor. He was arraigned Nov. 26 for alleged crimes occurring on Nov. 17.
A journal entry made Jan. 15 found Herr competent to stand trial after he pled innocent by reason of insanity.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 February 2009 )
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