Walnut Hill Man Involved In SWAT Standoff Had A Child In The Home, ECSO Says

July 2, 2024

We are learning more about what happened at a Walnut Hill home Sunday that led to a standoff and large law enforcement response, including the SWAT team and negotiators, as a man allegedly refused to exit the home or release a child.

John Edward McDowell, 48, was taken into custody after the four to five hour standoff. He eventually exited the home and was arrested without incident on Alabama warrants, including violation of probation and two warrants for failure to appear. He was booked into the Escambia County (FL) Jail in Pensacola to await extradition back to Alabama and charged with interfering with the custody of a minor.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office received a call from McDowell’s ex-girlfriend, who said when she left the residence, McDowell would not let her take her son, according to an ECSO report. She also said the child had been staying with him for about a week.

The ex-girlfriend told deputies that McDowell was not the child’s biological father but was “wat trying to make things work because McDowell was like a father figure” to the child, the report states.

The report indicates the mother said McDowell has a firearm on him at time and is mentally unstable, and that is why she left without the child before calling for help.

Deputies arrived at the home on Highway 97 north of Wiggins Lake Road and gave loud verbal commands over a public address system for McDowell surrender. The ECSO said he refused to answer the door and would not release the child from the residence.

Because McDowell was barricaded inside the residence, the ECSO SWAT team responded, along with a command vehicle and other resources.

Hours later, he surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident. His arrest report does not indicate when the child was released of if he actually had a firearm during the incident.

There were no shots fired and no injuries reported, according to the sheriff’s office.
Pictured above and below: This home on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill, seen on Monday, was the site of a law enforcement standoff and SWAT team response on Sunday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

One Response to “Walnut Hill Man Involved In SWAT Standoff Had A Child In The Home, ECSO Says”

  1. Terri Sanders on July 3rd, 2024 1:50 pm

    WOW!!!! like a father figure to the child??? unstable??? in possession of a firearm?? sounds like all she wanted was a free babysitter…she really needs to find some more positive father figures for her child…

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News