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They immediately backed off and called for help, Moody said.
“We went into basically a stand-off situation,” he said.
Special Operations Team members from the Springfield police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol surrounded the home and blocked car and pedestrian traffic on East Southern Avenue.
Negotiators couldn’t reach the suspect by phone and used a bullhorn to communicate. A staircase leading to the suspect’s home wouldn’t support the weight of an entry team, Moody said, so they worked with the state patrol to use their equipment, including a robot that could see into the house and a portable ramp.
They also broke windows and shot a gas similar to pepper spray into the house to make it safer for police, Moody said.
Investigators entered the home after nearly six hours. A screen was pushed out of a second-story window, Moody said, and it appeared the suspect at some point had jumped out. Harris remained at large as of Monday evening and could be injured.
“This is what we train for and this what a community should expect. I’m proud of what they did today and proud of what they do everyday here in the community,” he said. “We have to take these steps to ensure everyone is treated fairly and that our guys and gals go home safely every night.”
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