A standoff at the Vine Court Apartments in Harrison, next door to Sonic, ended peacefully less than three hours after it started Wednesday. A man, identified as 61-year-old Michael Sherman Enix, kept officers at bay saying he had a hammer and that police officers were trying to kill his sister. He eventually surrendered by coming out of his apartment on his own. During the standoff the Sonic temporarily shut down.
Enix was taken to the Boone County Jail with bond set at $25,000. He faces charges of criminal attempt to commit first-degree battery on a law enforcement officer.
According to the Harrison Daily Times, a Harrison Police daily log shows a caller reported a window in the second floor apartment had been shattered from the inside about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday. The window was visibly broken and shattered glass littered the driveway of the restaurant below. A witness said Enix apparently threw a candle through the window and it was still in one of the drive-in bays.
As police officers began arriving on scene, a pickup was parked across the Sonic entrance, although people still tried to get in through the exit. The restaurant was serving no food during the incident.
Officers began lining the balcony while Detective Corporal Jimmy Sailer spoke to Enix, who was yelling back. He apparently had one hammer inside the residence. Sailer called into the apartment asking Enix to put the hammer down and talk to him.
Inside the apartment, the man — who Police Chief Paul Woodruff identified as Enix– was yelling someone had killed his sister, possibly two police officers named Jeremy and Steve. Sailer said there are no officers by those names on the force and the Harrison Police Department hadnt answered any such complaints.
Around noon, with the temperature at 28 degrees, Sailer continued trying to coax Enix outside as the officer saw Enix was making coffee. A few minutes later, he handed Sailer a cup through the shattered window.
A few minutes later Enix was asking for cigarettes. Sailer said he didnt smoke and didnt have any, but he would get some if Enix would exit the apartment. He didnt. Sailer continued trying to negotiate Enixs surrender while officers in Special Operations Team gear began lining the balcony.
Enix had been asking to talk to the Boone County sheriff and began accusing Sailer and other officers of trying to kill him. Sailer assured him no one was trying to kill him. About two hours into the situation, Enix began asking about people outside. Sailer said there was no one but a few store employees and someone from the newspaper, who he had apparently been asking about earlier.
Negotiations continued on with Sailer still trying to get Enix to exit on his own, or at least go to the door where they could talk more easily.
By about 1:20 p.m., Enix again started yelling again from inside the apartment. The exchange went on for a few minutes as SOT members lined up around the corner from the apartment awaiting an order to make forced entry if necessary.
Suddenly, Sailer motioned to the SOT officers to move forward as the man opened the door on his own and fell to his knees with his hands behind his head. Officers moved in and took him into custody.
Woodruff said the SOT officers were waiting for a search warrant before making entry because Enix wasnt able to immediately hurt anyone. The warrant had just arrived as Enix surrendered.
The chief said that when Sergeant Chad Morris arrived on scene Wednesday morning, a hammer was thrown through the window and Morris dodged it to keep from being hit in the head.
Woodruff said Enix was highly intoxicated and agitated at the time.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI