Deputies converged on a home after neighbors reported gunshots, touching off a three-hour standoff that ended with 59-year-old Kevin Lee Daughton taken into custody without anyone getting hurt.
The Carroll County Sheriff's Office said deputies were called to the house for reports of shots fired, according to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office. Per the sheriff's office, deputies received multiple calls reporting gunshots in the area, prompting a swift response as the situation on Wind Ridge Road played out.
According to preliminary findings cited by WBAL News Radio, two guests fled the house after Daughton retrieved a gun, and gunshots were heard as the pair ran. Deputies later secured the victims, and no injuries were reported. The exact number of shots fired and the specific type of firearm involved have not been disclosed.
Crisis Teams Talk Down a Barricaded Homeowner
Daughton was taken into custody at about 7:04 a.m., roughly three hours after the first reports of gunfire. The standoff ultimately ended, with the sheriff's office describing the investigation as ongoing.
Daughton now faces first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment, the station's report notes. Under Maryland Criminal Law Code § 3-202, first-degree assault is a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison when committed with a firearm or with intent to cause serious physical injury, according to Justia. Serious physical injury under that statute involves a substantial risk of death or permanent harm.
What the Lesser Charges Carry
The second-degree assault count Daughton faces is generally classified as a misdemeanor, carrying a maximum of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500, per Justia. That charge covers offensive physical contact or attempts to place a victim in fear of imminent harm. The charges also include two counts of reckless endangerment.
The neighborhood where the standoff unfolded sits far from the image many might associate with an armed police response. It's the kind of setting where a standoff is the exception, not the rule.
A Demanding Stretch for Carroll County Deputies
The account also highlights the demands facing local law enforcement. Carroll County Sheriff's deputies had executed a multi-agency search after a court-ordered detainee escaped from a treatment facility, an incident Hoodline detailed separately, involving K-9 units, drones, and state police aviation before the detainee was recaptured within an hour.
What sparked the confrontation between Daughton and his two guests remains unclear, and the sheriff's office has not said how many shots were fired or specified the type of firearm recovered. The Carroll County Sheriff's Office said its investigation into the incident is continuing.
