WEST MANCHESTER — An hours-long standoff on Wednesday, Oct. 26, ended in the arrest of an Indiana man wanted for robbery in Indiana.
According to Sheriff Mike Simpson, last Wednesday, deputies attempted o serve an arrest waarrant at 8475 U.S. 127 N., south of West Manchester.
“Information had been received that Justin Paul Gabbard was at the residence. Gabbard had a warrant issued for his arrest for robbery in Wayne County, Indiana,” Simpson said in a press release.
“Deputies quickly determined that Gabbard was in the residence and refusing to exit thehouse,” the release continued. “Information provided by Richmond PD was that Gabbard was considered armed and dangerous and was known to carry a firearm and wear body armor. Deputies secured a search warrant for the residence.”
The Darke County Special Response Team which includes deputies from Preble County Sheriff’s Office and the Miami County Special Response Team responded to the scene. After several hours of attempting to get Gabbard to exit the residence, deputies located him in the attic of the residence after deploying tear gas, bringing the incident to a safe resolution, according to Simpson.
Gabbard,35, of Richmond, Indiana, was housed in the Preble County Jail on the active warrant. Deputies will also seek additional charges of resisting arrest, obstructing official business and inducing panic, according to Simpson, who said the investigation willbe forwarded to the Preble County Prosecutor’s Office.
U.S. 127 in both directions remained closed for more than 8 hours during the incident. Lewisburg Police Department, North Central EMS, West Manchester Fire Department and the Eldorado Fire Department responded to the incident and assisted.