Misdemeanor charge turns to police standoff - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -
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BLOOMFIELD, Ohio - An effort to serve a warrant for a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while impaired, turned into a standoff with police and an early morning wake-up call for neighbors.
The SWAT Team rushed in along with other law enforcement agencies. State Route 87 in Bloomfield was closed to traffic between State Route 45 and 534
"They had cops from our driveway all the way up. They had two armored tanks come in full of people ... assault rifles and everything," said neighbor Nick Parrish.
59-year-old Kenneth Hamrick of 2766 Kinsman Road refused to talk to the state patrol's "Special Response Team" as they arrived at his door.
Instead, Hamrick barricaded himself in his home with a gun.
"We knocked on the door. He came to the door. He had a gun close by. He made some movements. Our special response team took cover. The man retreated back into the house and the stand-off began," said Ohio State Patrol Captain James Holt.
Neighbors say the suspect who has lived at the home for about 10 years was a loner.
They couldn't even tell you his name but they say he would often fire his gun in the woods.
"I've lived her for five years now ... never even spoke to the guy. I tried to talk to him but he'd just run you off the property," said Parrish.
After trying to communicate with the suspect for about four hours, the Ohio State Highway Patrol sent in a remote controlled robot.
That's where the officers saw the suspect lying on the floor with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"The robot nudged him a little bit. He was still alive. The special reaction team went in and he has what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," Holt said.
A medical helicopter landed in an open field and transported Hamrick to a local trauma center.
State police at the Warren patrol post tell 21 News that he's now responsive and talking at the hospital.
As state police make sure the suspect's dog is taken care of and safe with neighbors, they're just thankful to bring the standoff to an end.
Ironically, they dispatched a special response team to serve the warrant in the first place because they considered Hamrick a high risk, likely because of his weapon and failure to show up for court.
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