COLUMBUS, Ind. – A Bartholomew County man was taken into custody early Thursday morning after a stand-off with Columbus Police Department (CPD) SWAT members.
At around 2:30 a.m., CPD officers observed a vehicle being operated by Justin M. Morgan, 42, of Columbus. They recognized the driver as a suspect in a recent theft of a firearm from a Columbus home.
Morgan parked his vehicle in the 2700 block of California Court and supposedly refused to follow the commands when police tried to make contact with him. During the standoff with the officers, the man refused to exit his vehicle and advised that he was armed with a handgun.
Columbus Police Department crisis negotiators, the CPD Bomb Squad, and CPD SWAT (comprised of CPD officers and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department deputies) were requested to assist.
The crisis negotiators began communicating with him and for an extended period tried to get him to surrender. When he refused, bomb squad officers utilized a robot to break a window on his vehicle and administered tear gas into the car. He eventually exited the vehicle and was arrested by SWAT.
The suspect was transported to Columbus Regional Health for medical clearance and then taken to Bartholomew County Jail.
Morgan was preliminarily charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, Possession of a Legend Drug, and Resisting Law Enforcement.
The Indiana State Police, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, and CRH Paramedics assisted. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.
Morgan-Courtesy-CPD
