Lafayette homicide suspect in custody after Ohio standoff

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Two people are in custody following a standoff with police in Dayton that lasted over nine hours.

According to police, the male suspect was wanted in connection to a homicide in Indiana. 

The standoff ended when the homicide suspect shot himself inside the apartment on Arnold Place, according to Maj. Christopher Malson of the Dayton Police Department. His girlfriend, who was also inside the apartment, is also in custody, Maj. Malson said.

Police have not released the names of the two suspects.

Authorities first arrived around 10:15 a.m. Thursday morning after getting word from authorities in Lafayette, Indiana that a homicide suspect they were looking for was likely there, Maj. Malson added.

The male suspect and his girlfriend did not live in the apartment, Maj. Malson said, and it’s not yet clear why they were there. The man’s girlfriend is believed to have ties to the Dayton area, he said, and she was not wanted in connection to the homicide.

After the homicide suspect and his girlfriend refused to come out, the SWAT team was called in around noon, Malson said.

“During that call-out, shots were fired by the suspect at the police,” Maj. Malson said. “None of the police were injured. No police officers returned fire.”

Throughout the day, tear gas was fired to get the man and his girlfriend to come out, Malson said.

“It was hundreds of rounds of chemical agents as well as less lethal rounds,” he said.

The male suspect’s girlfriend came out on her own around 3:30 p.m., Maj. Malson said. The homicide suspect shot himself in the head, and he was taken away by ambulance around 7 p.m., he added.

“He was talking but not necessarily coherent,” Maj. Malson said. “He would answer some of the questions, and others he would just mumble.”

Both the man and woman will likely face charges in connection to the standoff, he added.

Many other residents in the apartment building were forced out of their homes for hours, including one mother who couldn’t get inside to get baby formula.

“It’s hot,” said Kimberly Walker. “The baby’s been fussing all day. He just wants to eat. He needs a bath. So we’ve just been out here waiting, and thank goodness it’s over.”

The male suspect was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, Maj. Malson said. His condition is unknown.