A tense standoff in Murfreesboro ended in the arrest of a man after he allegedly launched a Molotov cocktail at his neighbor's house, local authorities confirmed. Murfreesboro Police Department detailed the incident beginning around 4 p.m. on Monday at a residence on Evanback Court, where Domonique Merriweather, 38, was said to not only have attacked a neighbor's home with the incendiary device but to also have assaulted two other neighbors before retreating into his own home, WKRN reported.
The episode escalated further when responding officers discovered a suspicious package, wrapped in duct tape, on Merriweather's porch which prompted them to hastily retreat. This precaution led to a coordinated response involving the Tennessee Highway Patrol Bomb Squad and ATF, as highlighted by FOX 17. The standoff spanned several hours before police were able to negotiate a peaceful surrender shortly before 8 p.m., specifically by deploying tear gas which eventually persuaded Merriweather to exit with his hands up.
Merriweather now faces a litany of charges including felony reckless endangerment, coercion of a witness, prohibited weapons related to the explosive device, and two counts of assault. He was taken into custody and is currently being held on a $210,000 bond at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, with a hearing confirmed to be set for June 25 in Rutherford County General Sessions Court.
“Responding officers found a package on the front porch wrapped in duct tape. As a precaution officers backed away,” detailed the Murfreesboro Police in a statement obtained by WSMV. The coordination between various law enforcement branches, including the MPD Special Operations Unit, and the use of unmanned aircraft systems, were instrumental to quickly de-escalate a potentially volatile situation and to ensure the safety of the surrounding community.
