Updated: ‘Chemical munitions’ used to end standoff near downtown Wichita
.JPG "Members of the Wichita SWAT team responded Thursday afternoon to a house near downtown where a man wanted by authorities was refusing to come out.")
Updated Friday:
Officers arrested 36-year-old Eli Sacket of Wichita after a multi-hour standoff that ended after SWAT team used “chemical munitions,” Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Nathan Gibbs said.
Sacket, who lived at the home of the standoff, had warrants for a felony flee and elude. Before the standoff, a bondsman tried to arrest Sacket but was injured when he tried to kick open the door, Gibbs said. Officers and SWAT arrived and the standoff ensued.
“SWAT was on scene and the call to utilize chemical munitions is theirs and is commonly used to bring incidents to a peaceful resolve,” Gibbs said in an email. “The threat of a gun was present. The suspect came out of the house unarmed so the residence was not searched so no weapon was located.”
Original Thursday:
Law enforcement officers remain at a standoff near downtown Wichita where a man has barricaded himself in a home.
The man is wanted on a felony warrant for evading and eluding. He was due to appear in court tomorrow for sentencing, Sheriff Jeff Easter said.
The suspect also had convictions for “some violent crime,” Easter added.
“He also has a pickup out for him for an aggravated assault domestic violence on a former girlfriend, plus several evading eludes, resists, and battery LEO’s,” according to Easter.
The incident was reported shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday at a home in the 300 block of N. Walnut where bail bondsmen were looking for the suspect, Easter said.
“Because of that felony warrant his bondsman were looking for him, knew he was inside and attempted to make entry,” Easter said during a media briefing.
One of the bail bondsmen was injured while trying to enter the home. He was taken to the hospital and is being treated, Easter said.
The man threatened to shoot the bondsmen, Easter said. Authorities arrived and began negotiating with the man to come out.
It is unknown if the man is actually armed or not, Easter said.
The SWAT team has been called in to get the man out peacefully, Easter added.
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This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 3:25 PM.