Standoff of more than an hour ends between a possibly armed individual and local law enforcement ends with one in custody.
Murphy – Murphy police and Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies were able to diffuse a tense situation in which a Murphy resident was thought to be armed and holed up alone inside a Fort Butler Street home on Thursday afternoon.
Police and sheriff’s deputies converged on a single wide trailer off Fort Butler Street and warned area residents of a possible armed subject inside. Residents were requested to remain inside until the all-clear, but many still stood watching from a distance while others attempted to drive along Cherokee Street nearby, including some who simply were trying to get home after a day of work.
The street remained closed for more than an hour.
Meanwhile, Murphy PD, which has jurisdiction over the neighborhood because it is in city limits, alongside Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies mustered on the street outside the residence while formulating an action plan.
Upward of 20 law enforcement officers including K-9 support were dispatched to the situation.
Once all the pieces were in place, law enforcement, firearms drawn with only body armor to protect them, approached the door and called for the resident to come out.
The individual surrendered without violence, gunshots or use of tear gas or flash-bang devices. He was taken into custody.
“It went about as well as you could possibly hope for,” said Murphy Police Chief Tim Lominac.
More details will be released over the coming days. The Cherokee Scout has the individual’s name but is withholding it until more information about the situation is known.