A 63-year-old man was arrested in the Town of Polk after a domestic dispute escalated into an armed confrontation. Deputies responded to a 911 call around 11:39 p.m. on Wednesday, where they learned the man, who was reportedly intoxicated, had assaulted his girlfriend and pointed a handgun at her and two family members before fleeing on foot, according to a Facebook post from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies located the suspect hiding in a swamp. When he refused to surrender, officers used less-lethal impact shotgun rounds to take him into custody. The man sustained a broken wrist during the encounter, officials said. Sheriff Martin Schulteis noted that less-lethal tools allow deputies to resolve dangerous situations while avoiding deadly force.
Deputies recovered the handgun and secured the scene without further incident. The suspect faces multiple charges, including Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Armed While Intoxicated, Domestic Abuse–Disorderly Conduct, Domestic Abuse–Battery, and three counts of Second-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety. The charges will be referred to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office.
The use of force will be reviewed, following standard procedure to ensure proper handling of the incident.
