Officers from the Sidney Police Department and the Sidney/Piqua Tactical Response Team police were called to a standoff Tuesday afternoon in downtown Sidney. It happened at a residence in the 300-block of South Walnut Avenue, beginning around 4 pm as a dispute between two female neighbors over a parking violation. During the dispute, threats of harm were made by one of the individuals involved, and police were called to respond. The female who made the threats went back into the residence and refused to come out after police arrived. For that reason, the swat team was called in to ensure nobody was harmed.
She was holed up in the residence for over two hours while Sidney Police Captian Bill Shoemaker and a family member of the woman negotiated with her to come out peacefully, which she finally did just after 6pm. Sidney Police Chief William Balling credited Captain Shomaker for his efforts in deescalating the situation without the need for swat intervention. After she surrendered, police spoke with the woman to ensure the safety of all involved, but she was not taken into custody. However, in a separate incident, an adult female who arrived on the scene struck a police officer in the head. She was arrested and will be charged with assault on a police officer. It is unknown if the officer was injured.
Chief Balling said the dispute between the neighbors has been ongoing for some time, and that the community resource officer and officers from his department have responded to several calls involving the two individuals in the past, but this was the most serious incident to date.
