Garden City man arrested after standoff

Garden City, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–A Garden City man was arrested after a two-and-a-half-hour standoff on Thursday.

Just after 1 pm, Garden City Police Department officers were dispatched to the City Administrative Center at 301 North 8th Street for a previous criminal threat. That’s when officers learned that 53-year-old Charles Holt of Garden City called city administrative staff and made threatening comments about having the power at his residence restored promptly.

Officers would respond to the 900 block of Theron Place to assist City Electric personnel while they replaced a meter and restored power to Holt’s residence. At the scene, Holt began yelling at Officers and City Electric personnel. When work was finished, Holt stood in the doorway with a firearm and motioned he was going to shoot Officers. Officers immediately took cover and Holt barricaded himself inside the residence.

Negotiations were attempted with Holt, but he refused to exit his residence and surrender to police. A search warrant was obtained for the residence during negotiations. After a two-and-a-half-hour standoff, Holt surrendered to police and was taken into custody without incident.

Officers searched the residence and located three loaded firearms within reach of Holt, including the firearm previously seen by Officers. The Garden City/Finney County SWAT team, Kansas Highway Patrol and the State Fire Marshal’s office responded to assist the incident.

Holt was lodged into Finney County Jail on requested charges of two counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Criminal Threat and a felony count of Interference of a Law Enforcement Officer.

*The person(s) involved has not yet been convicted of a crime and are presumed innocent. The presumption of innocence shall continue until such time that the person(s) accused may be found guilty by a court of law.*