UPDATE 11:15 p.m. An hours-long standoff at a Smyrna home has ended "without further incident or injury," said Smyrna police. Public Information Officer Michael Smith said Jonathan Gilmer, 34, of Smyrna, exited his residence after being barricaded inside since 12:30 p.m. Friday when officers deployed CS/OC gas into the home.
Gilmer was taken to Kennestone Hospital for evaluation and treatment from exposure to the gas and charges are pending. Earlier reports said the subject was barricaded inside an apartment, but in fact it was a home on Plaza Drive between South Cobb Drive and Concord Road.
Police initially responded to the home at about 12:30 p.m. Friday after a relative of the subject asked officers to do a welfare check. The family member said Gilmer was suicidal, Smyrna’s Public Information Officer Michael Smith reported.
Gilmer failed to respond to police, but later called a family member to say he was armed and would shoot anyone who came to the door, Smith said previously. Emergency Service Units, hostage negotiators and ultimately the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Units were called to the scene.
Negotiators eventually made contact with Gilmer by phone who exited the home with a handgun, however in an email Smith noted that he didn’t threaten officers with the weapon and only threatened to use it on himself.
Gilmer re-entered the home at which time Smith said deputies deployed a tactical robot in an attempt to make further contact with him. When these efforts failed the decision was made to deploy CS/OC gas.
UPDATE 7:30 p.m. Smyrna police continue to block access to Plaza Drive at South Cobb Drive and Old Concord Road while Tactical Units attempt to negotiate with a subject barricaded inside an apartment who is said to be armed and suicidal.
Police are not identifying the subject at this time. Smyrna-Vinings Patch will have more updates as they are available.
UPDATE 6 p.m. Police have still not identified the subject barricaded inside a Smyrna apartment on Plaza Drive. Emergency Services Units and hostage negotiators are on the scene, though Smyrna’s Public Information Officer Michael Smith emphasized that this is not a hostage situation.
“We call in Emergency Services Units, that’s our SWAT team and hostage negotiators who have the skills to deal with people who are in crisis,” he said. “We don’t have a hostage situation. It’s just one subject barricaded inside. When we say barricaded we’re not talking about he’s fortified the house in any fashion. It’s when somebody is unresponsive to us and doesn’t come out.”
A relative of the subject notified police Friday morning that they had not heard from their family member and asked officers to do a welfare check. They alerted police that the subject was suicidal and possibly armed.
Smyrna police have been on the scene since 12:30 p.m. Smith said the Sheriff’s Office Tactical Units had been called to the scene to relieve some of the Smyrna officers.
“It’s a hot day and we’re concerned about the welfare of our folks as well—staying hydrated and fatigued and that type of thing,” he said. “So we’re going to start rotating so people can get some rest, stay hydrated get some food.”
Smyrna-Vinings Patch will have more details as they’re made available.
ORGINAL STORY 5:30 p.m. Smyrna police are on the scene at an apartment complex off South Cobb Drive where an unidentified person has barricaded themself inside. The subject has told family members that he is armed and will shoot anyone who comes to the door, though police emphasize that this is not a hostage situation.
Smyrna’s Public Information Officer Michael Smith said in an email that Smyrna’s Emergency Services Unit and negotiators are on the scene. He said police were called to the apartment on Plaza Drive at 12:30 p.m. Friday after a relative of the subject requested police check the apartment. The relative told police the subject was possibly suicidal and armed.
The subject did not respond to police, but later called family members to say that he was armed and would shoot police or family who came to the door.
Smyrna-Vinings Patch will have more details as they’re available.
Also a SWAT team is a special group of police officers trained to deal with unusually dangerous or violent situations, and having special weapons more powerful than those carried by regular police. Note the words unusually dangerous and violent situations.
2) This is a highly trained unit, TRAINED to deal with these types of situations. 3) The members of this unit are trained and have specialized less than lethal weapons 4) You should get your facts gathered prior to writing a post about something that you know nothing about 5) These officers have to know all of the details before moving up in the use of force. There was no way in knowing if he had any hostages or innocent people in that house. 6) It in fact took several rounds of gas to get him out of the house, not to mention that there is a serious risk of fire being ignited by using the gas in a house, putting the entire neighborhood at risk as well as compromising the safety of the officers. 7) If they reacted to quickly without knowing the facts there would be those tha complain that there was no rush involved in taking action. 8) You should send the Smyrna Police your phone number so they can call you to handle these types of situations in the future, as you know how to handle them so well. 9) A man with a gun threatening to kill anyone who approaches his home is not considered an unusally dangerous situation ? Wow. 10) God Bless the Smyrna Police Department and the members of the Emergency Services Unit. I am so sorry that this community has some people in it that just don't get it.Those that will not hesitate to call you in an emergency and that you will run in to protect while others run away.
See link below, not only did this man have a gun, he shot at police. After 11 hours he walked out alive. They gave him time-he was NOT executed. Also they used the armored car called the Bear Cat--why was'nt used for the Messina boy-WHY? This event was so mishandled--Thank God other counties have the proper training and common sense. I would like to know who was in charge on May 1st and what experience they had! A question that should be addressed. http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/18/12274275-new-jersey-cop-surrenders-after-10-hour-standoff-with-police?lite
Are all police/law enforcement bad? No. But you've got to know your history. Police brutality if a part of our history and is still occurring. Never have total confidence in law enforcement in the U.S. Question authority. All authority. From the local to the national level. http://www.october22.org/
Also, have you seen the entire UNEDITED video of the UC Davis incident? If you so you would've seen the officer plead with the students to obey the lawful orders of police and make them aware of the consequences if they refused. You would've also seen prior to the the mob surround the police and clearly threaten them with profanities that they would not let the police leave until the students were release. Question the media before you question authority.
Their group has zero creditably when their face book banner is a Vote David Waters sign. And if you dare question them or point out anything contrary to their group think and echo chamber mantra, you will be accused of being Roger Garrison ( the incumbent sheriff). Because in their world view, only the incumbent ( who has time apparently to spend on message boards) would challenge their righteous cause. Just fair warning to all on here. They are hacks who can't back up anything they are saying with facts when called out.
Either you are lying or you truly have no clue about what you are talking about.