BENTON -- The Scott County Sheriff's Emergency Response Team made a forced entry into a Benton home Tuesday resulting in one arrest.
The suspect, who was wanted on felony bad check warrants out of Stoddard County, according to Sheriff Rick Walter, had reportedly been hiding in his home and would not come out.
Deputies had knocked on the door in attempt to serve the warrant on a couple of occasions but the suspect would not come to the door. Deputies reportedly believes the suspect was there but were not sure.
Walter said he began to hear disturbing things about what the suspect was saying to neighbors.
"These statements indicated that he would not be taken alive and would shoot any officer that came to the door, and this put a whole new light on things," he said. "We then felt that the suspect presented a danger to the community and deputies and I felt we needed to take immediate action."
Walter said a search warrant for the residence was obtained because the suspect's residence on the arrest warrant was a former Dexter address. With a team of officers at the residence, a deputy went to the door to make one final attempt to allow the suspect to come out voluntarily.
When the suspect again refused to come to the door, a forced entry was made. The suspect was unharmed during the arrest and there were no injuries to any deputies. The only damage was to the front door.
The warrant included not only the suspect, but also any guns in the home. Deputies found a loaded .45 semi-automatic pistol on top of a cabinet next to the front door and an assortment of other guns scattered at strategic points around the home including seven long guns, and four pistols. Eight of the guns were loaded.
Walter said while the possession of the guns was not illegal, it did tend to lend credence to the suspect's threats.
"The neighbors in this quiet neighborhood were not out to get this person, but when he began to make these statements and exhibit bazaar behavior of hiding in his house, they became concerned for their safety," Walter said. "It is important that we all are aware of our surroundings and if we feel something is not right, to report that to law enforcement. By the time the suspect's statements got to us, it was common knowledge in the neighborhood."