A SWAT standoff that lasted nearly four hours ended in the arrest of one man. Police were seen bringing a man who was barricaded inside the home out on a gurney. The suspect was later identified as Richard Simmons of Martinsville.
SWAT units were called to the scene in a rural area of Morgan County east of Martinsville at around 8:00 am on a report of shots fired at a home in the 3200 block of Centennial Road.
SWAT team members surrounded the Morgan County home Wednesday morning after learning a heavily armed man had gotten into a gun battle with police who were serving a warrant.
The officers involved were a Joint Task Force of one federal agent, two deputies from the Johnson County Sheriff's Department and one officer from the Franklin City Police Department.
Police say the suspect, Richard Simmons, was wearing a bullet resistant vest. He was armed with an AK-47 and a handgun.
The gunman and officers ended up in the basement in different rooms. Worried they were lacking firepower, the officers were trapped.
Police on the scene sent in a robot carrying protective gear for the officers. The plan worked, and the officers escaped unharmed. That's when the robot went back inside, this time with tear gas.
"A robot was sent in. Tear gas was put inside the residence and as tear gas was put into the residence, Mr. Simmons fired upon the SWAT team officers that were in the house," said Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox.
Simmons was shot twice in the vest.
"Shots were exchanged between Mr. Simmons and law enforcement. Mr. Simmons was struck twice by law enforcement," said Sheriff Cox.
Officers removed the suspect on a gurney and took him to the hospital to be checked out.
All Martinsville Schools were placed on a precautionary lockdown.
