Tear gas helps smoke out Indiana fugitive from home to end standoff, Preble County sheriff says

An Indiana fugitive wanted on a robbery charge was found hiding in the attic of a home on U.S. 127 in Lewisburg on Wednesday night to end a standoff that lasted nearly 8 hours, Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson said.

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Deputies found the fugitive, who authorities were told was to be considered armed and dangerous, about 9:30 p.m. and took him into custody, the sheriff said. The man’s name has not been released.

Simpson said deputies went to the address about 2 p.m. and attempted to execute an arrest warrant filed in Wayne County, Indiana, for the suspect, who is accused of robbing someone at gunpoint in Richmond late August.

“We were pretty confident we had the suspect in the house,” the sheriff said. “He was not coming to the door.”

So, Simpson’s office secured a search warrant for the address and the wait was on. Special weapons tactical teams from Preble, Darke and Miami counties were called to the scene. Lewisburg police shut down four roadways near the home for the entirety of the standoff.

More than seven hours had passed when the special weapons teams fired tear gas into the residence. That ended the standoff at the home the sheriff said was a place the suspect knows pretty well.

Authorities had information the man had been at the home earlier Wednesday and is either a boyfriend of the woman who lives there “or could be a spouse for all I know,” the sheriff said.

“I think finally, it got to the point where he couldn’t take it any more and deputies determined where he was,” he said when asked about the tear gas, noting, “We took a lot of extra precautions tonight.”

The precautions and patience were called upon because the law enforcement operation also was told the man has been known to wear body armor, the sheriff said.

The suspect likely will be charged in Preble County with resisting arrest and obstructing official business, in addition to the robbery charge in Indiana. He’ll have an extradition hearing in Eaton and either waive his rights and be returned there for his criminal case or he’ll remain in the Preble County Jail.

We will update this report as information becomes available.