Earlier Tuesday afternoon, HCSO deputies went to Torbett Lane off East Brainerd Road to serve an order of protection to a resident.
After the papers were served and the deputies were beginning to leave, the resident came out of the house holding a firearm. The firearm was not pointed at officers nor was it displayed in a threatening manner; however, deputies on the scene, out of concern for the resident and any other people in the home, approached the house and asked the man to come out on the front porch to speak with them.
The resident did not comply.
Deputies then, based on the situation at that time, and realizing there were other people in the home, decided to request additional personnel including SWAT and members of the Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT) to come to the scene as a precautionary measure until the full extent of the situation could be made clear.
Fortunately, for all those involved, the situation never escalated to a level where further interaction was necessary. This decision was made for both the safety of the officers on scene, the resident, and anyone else located in or around the residence.
Once SWAT and HNT personnel arrived on the scene, two adults and one child were safely removed from the residence and a line was established to speak to the remaining resident, the man who was initially served the papers. For several hours, the resident spoke with HNT personnel and the conclusion of the discussion was made that the individual had not done anything illegal and was legally able to possess a firearm at the time of the incident.
HCSO deputies, before leaving the residence, reached out to various legal authorities within Hamilton County to evaluate their determination so as to protect the rights of the resident before moving forward and to see if any laws had been broken. After speaking to legal authorities the determination was made that no laws had been broken.
No law enforcement or civilian personnel were injured in Tuesday’s event and this matter will now be turned over the court to evaluate the events based on the order of protection issued for the resident.
The HCSO would like to note that in situations like this, when events can change rapidly and a clear path is not necessarily known, it is always best to respond accordingly so as to protect all those involved.
The name of the resident is not being released at this time.
No further information is available as this is an ongoing investigation.