A 9-hour standoff with Washington and Bay County Sheriff’s deputies ended tragically, resulting in the death of one man in Washington County, Florida.
According to officials, the incident was initiated when the man opened fire on a car that was transporting his girlfriend and several children.
Dispatchers at Washington County received a call about a domestic violence incident on Shell Point Road in New Hope, located west of Vernon, around 11:30 Tuesday night.
The woman summoned her mother to collect her and her children.
According to officials, the woman was attempting to leave her partner, identified as Hueland Todd Brown, but Brown was obstructing her from doing so. The deputies stated that Brown was preventing her from leaving the premises.
Sheriff Kevin Crews of Washington County reported that as soon as the suspect escaped from the gate, he started shooting at the car that carried his girlfriend, her mother, and multiple children. “They had just left the gate and were driving away when the incident occurred,” he stated. The current number of children in the car is unknown.
The perpetrator had fired three shots, hitting the girlfriend’s mother and a two-year-old child. Fortunately, neither of them sustained any serious injuries.
Brown fled the scene following the shooting.
According to Crews, after fleeing the area on foot, Mr. Brown sought refuge at a nearby neighbor’s house, with whom he had a long-standing acquaintance. He proceeded to barricade himself inside the house.
Brown engaged in a nine-hour standoff with the Washington and Bay County sheriff deputies, which led to the deployment of SWAT teams from both sides.
Sherrie Bowman woke up at 5 am due to a persistent buzzing sound that resembled a drone flying around her trailer. She initially thought it could be a surveying activity in the area and decided to call the Washington County Police Department to inquire about any surveillance reports. However, the response she received from the police was quite different. They informed her that there was a suspect in the vicinity.
Brown was the center of attention for hours as negotiators made attempts to persuade him to surrender.
According to Bowman, the police officers repeatedly called out on the intercom, instructing the individuals inside to come outside and speak with them while demanding that they show their hands. The process was repeated multiple times, with periods of complete silence lasting for up to 15 minutes before the officers would make the same demands once again. This continued for approximately three to four hours.
Around 9:30 on Wednesday morning, Brown decided to take his own life, which ultimately put an end to the standoff.
Bowman expressed his gratitude towards the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, stating that it was a remarkable team effort. He thanked Sheriff Ford for the invaluable assistance provided during the unfortunate and sorrowful incident. Bowman acknowledged the severity of the situation and expressed relief that there were no fatalities or serious injuries, which he attributed to a stroke of divine intervention.
Authorities from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department are currently investigating to determine the underlying causes of this heartbreaking event.