There were some tense moments Tuesday in Cleveland when an alleged burglar engaged in a standoff with police. Through the combined efforts of several agencies, Cleveland Police Chief Jeff Shoemaker says they were able to resolve the incident peacefully.
Officers arrested 42-year-old William Nicely of Cleveland following the standoff. They charged him with multiple crimes, including burglary, criminal damage to property (FVA 2nd degree), felony- obstruction of an officer, and aggravated battery.
At approximately 5:42 p.m. on July 25, police officers were dispatched to a residence on Pine Crest Circle regarding a burglary in progress.
Upon arrival, officers found that the front door of the residence had been removed and heavily damaged. The interior of the residence appeared to be ransacked, states a press release from the Cleveland Police Department.
Police officers found an offender inside the house who was causing further damage and “appeared to be holding a weapon.”
That offender was later identified as Nicely.
“Officers ordered Nicely to drop the weapon and to exit the residence, to which he refused to cooperate and continued to cause damage inside,” says Chief Shoemaker.
During the encounter, Nicely hid in a nearby closet and refused to exit.
Residences in the immediate area were evacuated until the incident was resolved. Police obtained arrest warrants. They asked the White County Sheriff’s Office for help in serving those warrants due to the increased potential for danger, the release states.
Officers located Nicely inside the residence and placed him under arrest.
Chief Shoemaker said Nicely was charged with Burglary, Criminal Damage to Property (FVA 2nd degree), Felony- Obstruction of an Officer, and Aggravated Battery.
The Helen Police Department, Cleveland Fire Department, and White County Emergency Medical Services also assisted with the incident.
