A defendant responsible for an hours-long standoff with law enforcement last June was sentenced to community control sanctions recently in Logan County Common Pleas Court.
Jeremy Sassen, 44, of Milford Center, was sentenced to three years of community control and ordered to pay court costs for one count of strangulation, a fourth-degree felony.
He was indicted last summer on charges including strangulation and domestic violence.
The case originates from an extended standoff with officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department that lasted nearly seven hours.
The tense standoff came to a peaceful resolution June 14, when Sassen eventually surrendered to law enforcement officers after tear gas was deployed into his residence.
Bellefontaine police received a distress call at 3:23 p.m. regarding the mental well-being of Sassen that escalated quickly into a domestic violence situation at 501 Gunntown Road.
Upon arrival, officers learned that Sassen had barricaded himself within a room and was potentially armed with multiple weapons. Concerned for the safety of all parties involved, officers promptly evacuated the residence and summoned additional assistance.
The Bellefontaine Police Special Response Team, along with the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, was dispatched to the scene. The Ohio State Highway Patrol Special Response Team was also called upon to provide support and help secure a peaceful resolution.
While crisis negotiators attempted to make contact with Sassen through various means, officers established a secure perimeter and evacuated neighboring residences. However, all attempts to communicate with Sassen proved unsuccessful, leading to the securing search and arrest warrants for his arrest.
As crisis negotiators and Special Response Team members from the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrived, the joint law enforcement effort continued to try and establish contact with Sassen.
After exhausting all other options, the Special Response Team deployed “C.S. gas” munitions into the residence. Sassen eventually surrendered peacefully by exiting the home at 9:19 p.m. He was taken into custody without further incident and was charged with strangulation and domestic violence.
Throughout the ordeal, the Bellefontaine Fire Department was also present to provide assistance and render aid to Sassen before he was transported to the Logan County Jail.