Feb. 06--RICHMOND -- A bizarre drug-fueled standoff at the Richmond Super 8 Motel ended peacefully with no one hurt, including a child who was in the room with a man that police found wielding two knives.
About 1:53 a.m. Friday, police received a call about a man who was threatening someone with a knife at the motel on North Keeneland Drive, according to Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock.
When the officers arrived they were met by a woman, Miranda Northern, 22, of Berea. She reportedly told the police her boyfriend, Joshua W. Callahan, 23, of Berea, was in their room, and some men were outside trying to stab him. However, police saw no one outside the room, according to Brock.
The officers approached the room, and Callahan yelled from inside saying someone was holding a gun on him and threatening to kill him, according to the report.
"Officers heard what sounded like a conversation going on between Callahan and another party," Brock said in a news release. Northern told police her 4-year-old son was in the room with Callahan. She also said Callahan had been taking drugs throughout the evening, according to the report.
The police tried to get Callahan to open the door, but he remained inside, Brock said. The RPD Emergency Response Unit was called, and while the officers waited outside the room, they reportedly heard Callahan making comments indicating he had been taking drugs.
At 2:53 a.m., officers heard what sounded like a struggle from inside the room, so they immediately entered the room. Callahan was standing in the bathroom with two knives, and the child was on the floor near the bed and unharmed, according to Brock. Callahan dropped the knives when police told him to.
Officers found three syringes, a plastic bag with a small amount of suspected cocaine inside and two Xanax pills, according to the report. The room was damaged as well.
Callahan was charged with two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, first- and third-degree possession of a controlled substance, endangering the welfare of a minor, possession of drug paraphernalia and second-degree criminal mischief.
Police also discovered that Northern had two outstanding arrest warrants, both from Estill County. One warrant was for failure to appear in court and the other was a complaint for theft by deception, Brock said. Northern was taken into custody.
The two children with the couple, one of which wasn't in the room during the incident, were released to a family member, according to the report.
Northern and Callahan both were taken to the Madison County Detention Center. Northern was released later that day, while Callahan remains in jail.
Sarah Hogsed can be reached at [email protected] or 624-6694.
Copyright 2012 - Richmond Register, Ky.
