A Marion man is in custody after a 10-hour standoff with police that ended Oct. 6 with the suspect firing shots at officers and officers responding with less-lethal force. Harold White, 64, was arrested in the 700 block of Silver Street after officers attempted to serve him with an active arrest warrant on Oct. 5.
According to the Marion Police Department, officers who entered the home found White sitting in a chair with a gun pointed at his own head and withdrew immediately. The special response team and hostage negotiation team were called in. Police said White made repeated threats to harm himself and kill law enforcement officers, and at one point stopped communicating with negotiators.
During the standoff, officers used chemical agents and breached windows and doors to create entry points. Around 9:30 a.m. Oct. 6, officers fired bean-bag rounds and pepper-ball projectiles; White responded by firing multiple shots at law enforcement. Officers did not return lethal fire, and White was taken into custody through continued less-lethal tactics.
White was charged with two counts of attempted murder, failure to appear on an active warrant, resisting arrest and other firearm charges. The case will be reviewed by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. “Our officers utilized every technique to help end this peacefully, and we are grateful that no serious injuries were reported by any citizen, officer or suspect,” said Marion Police Chief Jay McDonald.
