March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 43 F

Standoff In Gingerville

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UPDATE 10:12am 3/30/2011: From the Anne Arundel County Police Department:

On March 29, 2011, at approximately 4:20 p.m., officers from the Southern District responded to 2700 block of Cassia Drive in Edgewater regarding a barricaded person.

A Deputy with the Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office was at the location attempting to serve a court order when the subject of the order brandished a sword, charged at a deputy, and then retreated into the home. The deputy evaded the threat, but sustained minor injuries. Officers from the Anne Arundel County Police Department responded to assist and were able to contain the suspect within the house. Cassia Drive was subsequently closed to traffic.

The subject would not respond to any attempts by the police to contact him, so the police department’s Conflict Negotiation Team and Special Operations Section were dispatched.  Negotiators tried for several hours to communicate with suspect, but the suspect would not cooperate. Neighbors were asked to stay indoors, limit vehicular traffic on surrounding streets and were alerted to the situation through automated phone calls and door to door notifications.

After several failed attempts to establish a verbal dialogue with the suspect, a remotely-controlled robot camera was sent into the house to locate and talk with the suspect, but the suspect still refused to engage in meaningful dialogue with the negotiators.

At approximately 10:20 p.m., tactical officers from the Special Operations Section deployed chemical agents into the house enabling entry to be made. Once tactical officers were inside the residence, they encountered the suspect, who had sustained a self-inflicted wound in the torso. The suspect, still armed with the sword, was ordered to surrender, but did not. At that time, tactical officers then fired several less lethal beanbag rounds at the suspect striking him in the abdomen area. The suspect still did not surrender and retreated to another room of the house, apparently unaffected.

Negotiators continued their efforts to negotiate with the suspect, but the suspect continued to be defiant, secreted himself and remained armed with the sword. At approximately 12:30 a.m., tactical officers found the suspect in a bathroom, deployed a Taser and took the suspect into custody. He was found injured from an apparent self-inflicted wound and was transported to Shock Trauma in Baltimore for treatment, where he is currently being guarded there by the Sheriff’s Office. One Anne Arundel County police officer sustained minor injuries at the scene and was treated and released from Anne Arundel County Medical Center. Residents in the community were updated that the suspect was in custody.

The Sheriff’s Office applied for and obtained a warrant charging the suspect, Michael R. Beach, 44, of the 2700 block of Cassia Drive, Edgewater, Maryland, with Assault with Intent to Murder in the 2nd Degree, 1st and 2nd Degree Assault, Assault with Intent to Injure, Reckless Endangerment and Possession of a Dangerous and Deadly Weapon. The warrant will be served upon his release from medical care.

This incident marked the first time that the recently acquired robot camera was used in a situation other than training. An incident such as this highlights the need for this type of technology in police work as the robot provided visual intelligence to officers to aid them in their tactical decisions. The robot camera was received in September of 2010 through federal grant funding.

“I am extremely proud of the men and women of the police department, especially the officers of the Special Operations Division, who integrated their skills and abilities with this recently obtained technology to ensure a safe resolution to an extremely dangerous situation,” said Chief of Police Colonel James Teare, Sr.

UPDATE 08:35am 03/30/2011: The Edgewater Patch is reporting that the incident began around 5:00pm and ended at 12:45am. The man was being served a “vacate” warrant in his home in the 2700 block of Cassia Drive. In addition to several updates, Patch has some photos.

Late yesterday afternoon, Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s deputies went to serve a warrant on a man in the Gingerville community in Annapolis. When they tried to serve him, he lunged at them with a sword. Police response was heavy and the neighborhood was sealed off.

The standoff continued for more than five hours nearly eight hours and the all clear was given just before 1:00am this morning. We do not have an official statement from the police or sheriff yet, but reports from a resident in the neighborhood suggest that the man was ultimately incapacitated when police used a taser on him.  Developing..

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