Suspect apprehended in Oxford apartment barricade situation
Police took a suspect into custody after an hours-long standoff in which a man had barricaded himself in a former girlfriend's apartment, Oxford's Chief of Police confirmed.
Oxford Police apprehended a suspect following an hours-long barricade situation April 15, OPD Chief John Jones confirmed to The Oxford Free Press.
A woman reported to OPD that her ex-boyfriend had entered her apartment on the corner of High and Locust Streets without permission and wouldn't leave. The woman was not in the apartment at the time she reported the trespassing. When OPD responded, the suspect barricaded himself in the unit.
Jones confirmed that Harrison Hooks is a suspect connected to the incident.
When OPD officers were unable to enter the unit, Jones said they called in support including the Butler County Sheriffs Department, the Butler County Regional SWAT Team, the Miami University Police Department, the Oxford Fire Department and the Oxford Township Police Department. The situation began around 6 p.m., eyewitnesses near the event told the Oxford Free Press and The Miami Student. The suspect was apprehended just before 9:30 p.m.
"We attempted to get him out. He locked the door. We had a key, but then when we tried to go in, he forced the door shut and locked it," Jones said. "So, not knowing whether he was armed due to his past, we utilized the SWAT team, which has training and weapons and tactics designed for a barricade situation."
The first responders ultimately utilized both gas and a canine to apprehend the suspect, Jones said. No one except the suspect was injured to Jones' knowledge as of 10 p.m. April 15, and the suspect was in custody.
The situation had attracted a large crowd of people throughout the evening. After a loud bang around 8:45 p.m., many of them dispersed. Miami University sent out multiple emergency alerts for students to avoid the area throughout the night.
