10-hour standoff ends peacefully

By PAUL STONE

MONTALBA — A 10-hour standoff over the weekend with a 33-year-old Neches man ended peacefully when he walked out of a Montalba residence unarmed early Sunday morning.

Jermaine Duncan, 33, of Neches kept officers at bay for more than 10 hours at a relative’s residence in the 1700 block of CR 2409 outside of Montalba, according to Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor.

Authorities were contacted at 8:26 p.m. Saturday by Duncan’s grandparents after the man began to “barricade” himself in the living room of their mobile home, claiming “people were trying to kill him,” Taylor said.

Duncan was armed with a 12-gauge shotgun during the display of odd behavior, Taylor said.

“They tried to get him to put the gun down and he wouldn’t,” the sheriff stated. “He was waving the gun around recklessly.”

The man’s grandparents left the residence when Duncan refused to put the weapon away, according to Taylor.

Sheriff’s deputy Charles Richardson was the first officer on the scene and approximately 12 to 14 officers had responded to the location by the time the standoff ended around 7 a.m. Sunday, the sheriff said.

The sheriff’s office’s tactical team and officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department were among those responding to the scene.

At one point during the standoff, three shots were fired from inside the mobile home, according to Taylor. At the time, authorities were uncertain in which direction the shots were fired, but later determined that Duncan shot through the mobile home’s ceiling with a shotgun, the sheriff added.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jay Russell, who is a trained hostage negotiator, and an aunt of the suspect combined to ultimately “talk” Duncan out of the house, the sheriff stated.

“He (Duncan) came out unarmed,” Taylor said, “and left the weapons in the house.”

As of Monday afternoon, Duncan remained in the Anderson County Jail on the felony charge of resisting/evading arrest in lieu of a $75,000 bond set by Anderson County Justice of the Peace James Todd.

The charge typically constitutes a misdemeanor, but is enhanced to a third-degree felony when a weapon is used, according to Taylor.

Duncan also had two outstanding warrants -- one for a violation of probation on a DWI charge and the other on a bond forfeiture on a DWI charge -- according to Taylor.

The sheriff said authorities remain uncertain whether Duncan was having a “mental breakdown” Saturday night; under the influence of drugs or alcohol; or a combination.

A representative of ACCESS is expected to evaluate Duncan at the jail in the coming days, according to Taylor.

During this weekend’s standoff, Taylor said authorities attempted to force Duncan out of the residence by tossing a total of three “OC grenades” through a window. Pepper ball gas was also introduced into the residence, he added.

“Both were ineffective,” Taylor said.

The sheriff said Duncan was apparently able to “insulate” himself from the effects of the OC grenades and pepper ball gas by turning a couch “upside down” and laying underneath it.

Following the suspect’s arrest, authorities found two shotguns in the mobile home’s living room and a .22-caliber rifle at another location inside the residence.

“A barricaded area” in the living room included an overturned couch, bookshelves and other pieces of furniture, according to Taylor. The suspect also did other damage to the mobile home -- some of it apparently by throwing canned goods into the walls -- during the long standoff, according to the sheriff.

Taylor said authorities were thankful the standoff ended with no injuries.

“It was a very dangerous and very intense situation for a while that was resolved peacefully, thank God,” the sheriff stated.

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com