Man detained after hours-long standoff in West Columbia
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A man was arrested following a more-than-10-hour standoff Friday at an apartment complex in West Columbia.
A standoff occurred as Ash Street Place Apartments, with its entrance just west of Stadium Boulevard, following a “weapons incident” around 8:30 a.m. Police said at 12:48 p.m. that a man had threatened people with a weapon before going inside his residence.
Columbia Police Department spokesman Brian McNeill said at the scene around 7 p.m. that a man was in custody and taken to an area hospital for a precautionary screening. Only one person was involved.
Police later identified the man in a Friday evening press release as Michael Whited, 59, of Columbia. He was arrested on suspicion of two counts of fourth-degree assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of misdemeanor resisting arrest.
Whited did not appear on the Boone County Jail’s online roster on Friday night. Charges have yet to appear on Casenet.
Several loud pops coming from gas canisters occurred shortly after 5 p.m. CPD Assistant Chief Paul Dickinson clarified to ABC 17 News around 5:50 p.m. that gas cans were deployed.
Smoke was seen in an area near the apartment at 5:23 p.m. and a drone was used around 5:30 p.m. More than 10 Columbia police officers were on the scene, along with officers with sniper rifles and an armored vehicle.
A K-9 was also on the scene and police were seen wearing gas masks throughout the later half of the standoff.
Crime scene tape went up about 12:10 p.m. Friday.
Parent whose child is enrolled at a nearby daycare, KinderCare, told ABC 17 News that she was not able to pick up her child on Friday afternoon as the daycare was on lockdown. ABC 17 News reached out to the daycare, but has not yet heard back.
A neighbor told an ABC 17 News reporter that police are regularly seen in the complex for fire alarms, but indicated Friday afternoon’s response was much larger than usual.
This is a developing story.
