The latest incident involved 63 law enforcement officers from 12 different agencies in a standoff that lasted nearly six hours. Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer and Yellow Springs Police Chief Tony Pettiford have jointly requested the assistance of the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations as the inquiry continues.
Schenck’s body was taken to the Montgomery County Coroner’s office where an autopsy will be performed Thursday.
Around 11 p.m. Tuesday, Yellow Springs police responded to a 911 call asking for a medic to help an assault victim at Schenck’s home on North High Street.
Fischer said officers were met with gunfire and, “deputies had to dive for cover.” Most of the shots fired over several hours appear to have come from inside the residence, but two Greene County Sheriff’s deputies returned fire. They have been placed on paid leave while the county conducts a routine administrative review, Fischer said.
Two cruisers were struck by bullets, Fischer said, but no other residents or law enforcement officials were injured during the standoff. Schenck’s 19-year-old son was transported to the hospital during the incident, but officials said he was not in the house during the shootout.
Neighbors said the night was marked by constant gunshots. Conversations about the shootout floated from every cafe table and shop doorway on Xenia Avenue Wednesday as many recounted hearing what at first they mistook as firecrackers.
“We heard several shots. We just stayed at the back of the house,” said Rose Clay who lives on Stafford Street.
“What was so profound was the noise,” said Thomas Reynolds. The Air Force veteran from California had been attending a cookout across the street earlier in the evening.
“It definitely wasn’t just small rounds,” he said. “It got louder and louder.”
By 5 a.m., the gunfire had stopped and SWAT officers sent a robot into the home to find the suspect dead on the floor.
Law enforcement officials have had repeated contact with Schenck, including an incident in 2009 in which officers reportedly had to wrestle a gun from him. He was arrested and police obtained a search warrant for the residence. Inside the home investigators found more than 20 rifles, four to five handguns, tens of thousands of rounds of ammo and sophisticated body armor, according to police.
Pettiford said Wednesday that those guns were returned to Schenck about a year later after their investigation was complete.
According to court record, Schenck had weapons, disorderly conduct, obstruction and resisting arrest charges between 1993 and 2009. The mother of one of his children filed a protective order against him in 2002 that was later dismissed.
In the request for that court order, the woman wrote that Schenck, “has emotional/mental imbalances and is often drunk from alcohol at his residence and possesses numerous guns/weapons.”
The Swigarts said although the village is sometimes seen as a haven for unique and diverse individuals — you can pretty much do your own thing, they said — an incident like this is out of character.
It doesn’t change their feelings, however, that Yellow Springs is a safe place.
“No matter where you live, you’re always going to wind up with someone who has a problem,” Keith Swigart said. But he still describes the town he was born and raised in as one of the only towns in Ohio with more than one stoplight where you can feel safe.
“I’ll still be out walking at all hours,” Barb Swigart said.
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