Two people have been arrested and face several charges following a nearly 2-hour standoff on Bittel Road on Monday, according to the Owensboro Police Department. Police said they were initially looking for a subject who has an “extensive criminal history” and who was the suspect in an incident where a person pointed a gun at employees inside a business on Salem Drive last week.
(The house where the incident took place was a newly listed Airbnb. The owner said the home was meant to showcase local artwork but the inside had been “trashed.” Read the owner’s reaction here.)
Watch a live stream of the incident here.
According to a release, OPD the investigation began when officers were dispatched to Custom Car Stereo on Salem Drive after an unknown male subject “became enraged with the business” on November 27. The suspect reportedly “retrieved a firearm, racked the weapon ejecting shell casings, and pointed the gun at employees before fleeing the scene.”
Following the initial investigation, the Owensboro Criminal Investigations Division identified the suspect as Jeremy Willis, a 29-year-old man from Virginia with an “extensive criminal history” and currently on parole. Detectives tracked Willis to a residence in the 2400 block of Bittel Road, believing he was inside.
At approximately 11 a.m. on December 30, officers and detectives attempted to take Willis into custody.
“He refused to exit the residence and barricaded himself inside,” according to OPD.
The Emergency Response Team and negotiators were dispatched to the scene to assist. Negotiators communicated with the occupants by phone and loudspeaker.
After approximately 2 hours of negotiations, the situation was resolved peacefully. All three occupants of the residence exited and surrendered without incident. A search warrant was then executed, leading to the discovery of two firearms and evidence of drug trafficking, according to OPD.
Willis faces the following charges from the November 27 investigation:
- Wanton Endangerment, 1st Degree
- Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
Additionally, Willis faces the following charges from Monday’s incident and the search warrant execution:
- Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon (2 counts)
- Receiving Stolen Property (Firearm)
- Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, 1st Degree – 1st Offense (≥4 gms cocaine, enhancement)
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
- Drug Paraphernalia
- Unlawful Imprisonment, 2nd Degree
Chris Sam, a 29-year-old man from Louisville, was one of the individuals who exited the residence, according to OPD. He faces the following charges from the search warrant execution:
- Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon (2 counts)
- Receiving Stolen Property (Firearm)
- Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, 1st Degree – 1st Offense (≥4 gms cocaine, enhancement)
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
- Drug Paraphernalia
