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18 Hour SWAT Standoff Ends With Arrest
November 7, 2011
Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Richard Howard Jr., 21, of Pensacola, about 7:00 Monday morning following an 18 hour standoff. Howard was taken into custody without incident by members of the Pensacola Police Department SWAT team.
Around 1:00 Sunday afternoon, deputies responded to reports of Howard standing on his roof in his underwear yelling at neighbors and threatening suicide. When deputies arrived, Howard jumped from the roof and barricaded himself inside his residence. The Escambia County SWAT team was then activated to establish a perimeter and negotiations were conducted with Howard.
During the course of the stand-off, SWAT team members entered the residence to find that Howard was in the attic of his home. When Howard saw the deputies, he fired rounds at the deputies, but no one was injured. SWAT team members utilized gas agents as a means to get Howard out of the house, but the gas had no effect on Howard. Due to the extended period of time, Escambia County SWAT team members were relieved by the Pensacola Police SWAT team.
After 18 hours, SWAT team members from the Pensacola Police Department entered the attic of the residence and took Howard into custody without incident. Howard was taken to a local hospital for evaluation prior to being booked into the Escambia County Jail on an aggravated assault charge.
Pictured. Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
14 Responses to “18 Hour SWAT Standoff Ends With Arrest”
I’m Richard Howard,and for the books I was not committing suicide I was playing guitar on my roof with my underwear,dumb I know but somebody drove by and dialed 911 saying I was committing suicide then they destroyed my house and locked me up they were not heroes.
kinda sad that the county will force firefighters to stay at the station bc there arent enough seatbelts on the trucks(when lives are in danger)….and yet we have armed men riding on the roof of swat trucks(when they are heading out to use deadly force if need be)…
To all the negitive comments about the equipment the police and sheriff’s office
has. When the durg dealers, who by the way do live in every neighborhood, start
shooting at each other or decide to take someone hostage in order to escape
arrest, won’t you be glad of all that equipment.
How could anyone possibly find fault with taking this guy alive and well
after he fired on police?
Excellent out come and Thank you so much to all the swat team members
who brought this to a good out come for all.
Good job, swat team!
REGARDING:
“Seems dangerously close to violating the Posse Comitatus Act.
Do all the military training and outfitting but call them police and you’re in compliance.”
Nah, not particularly close. The Possee Comitatus Act forbids any part of the Army from being employed as a law enforcement tool unless specifically authorized by Congress. It does not forbid police forces greater and stronger than the armies of other countries. It doesn’t even restrict the Navy, Marines or Coast Guard.
It was passed to stop using military to protect ex-slaves during Reconstruction.
(From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act
The original provision was enacted as Section 15 of chapter 263, of the Acts of the 2nd session of the 45th Congress.
Sec. 15. From and after the passage of this act it shall not be lawful to employ any part of the Army of the United States, as a posse comitatus, or otherwise, for the purpose of executing the laws, except in such cases and under such circumstances as such employment of said force may be expressly authorized by the Constitution or by act of Congress – - – any person willfully violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punished by fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars or imprisonment not exceeding two years or by both such fine and imprisonment )
David for caution
Reader of the news: DITTO!!!
READER– You are correct. Many time the person is reaching out for help. A person who has decided to kill their self will do it and not call. Ref. the “military” look is needed to carry every thing they may need and not have a ton of car parked every where in the area. Good job S.O.
thank goodness it ended peacefully..Good job to all law enforcement officers. Military style or not. Unless you have been to the point that suicide comes into play, don’t make comments like Just Do it.. most of the time they don’t want to Just Do It, they want relief, help, peace..praying for all involved and for those that make senseless comments.
There are always some who have to complain about our law enforcement. Kudos to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Dept. for the fine work they do and did in this case. A life is saved and no officers injured. Give God the glory.
Don’t mind police want to protect themselves but if the word “Sheriff” wasn’t on the front of this APC, I”d swear it was an Army maneuver in Lybia or Afganistan.
Seems dangerously close to violating the Posse Comitatus Act.
Do all the military training and outfitting but call them police and you’re in compliance.
I am glad to see a little more restraint. Not all these jokers are experienced trained, calculating killers, out breaking the law. Some are just nut jobs, that in many instances will surrender, with time and dialoge. Good work SWAT.
I’ve read a few editorials that were negative on police forces getting more and more expensive ‘toys’ especially those that ramped up their weaponry and tactics for they would be compelled to use them if for no other reason than to show a need. This does seem to be an example.
why call police if you want to commit suidide?Just do it.