Jamestown, North Dakota (trfnews.i234.me) – We have a dramatic update on a 10-hour armed standoff in Jamestown that ended with the safe rescue of a toddler and the arrest of a suspect now identified as 30-year-old Jacob Lee Schmidtt.
The incident began at 1:54 a.m. when police were dispatched to a home in Western Park Village, a trailer park on the city’s southwest side. A woman at the residence reported a male suspect was yelling, possibly under the influence of drugs, and had threatened to kill her. She also said the suspect had access to multiple firearms and refused to leave.
As officers arrived, Schmidtt barricaded himself in a back room with a 2-year-old child, after four other occupants were evacuated. Due to the elevated danger, the James Valley Special Operations Team was called in around 2:50 a.m.
Despite efforts to negotiate, the suspect refused to surrender or release the child. At 12:45 p.m., special ops breached the home, rescued the child, and took Schmidtt into custody without incident.
He is currently being held in the Stutsman County Correctional Center on suspicion of terrorizing. Additional charges may be filed.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.