Standoff results in Chaffee man's arrest

Kenneth E. Cummins Sr.

BENTON -- A two-hour standoff with law enforcement ended with the arrest of a Chaffee man late Tuesday in Scott County.

Kenneth Eugene Cummins Sr., 53, of rural Chaffee is charged with the felony of first degree domestic assault, the felony of armed criminal action and the misdemeanor of unlawful use of drug paraphernalia.

Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said at 9:07 p.m. Tuesday, deputies with the sheriff's office were dispatched to a call at the residence in reference to a domestic violence assault.

"One member of the family reported that Cummins struck them with his fists several times in their face," Walter said in a news release. "Cummins was then alleged to have gone to a bedroom and retrieved a semi-automatic pistol, confronting the same family member in a hallway, pointing the gun at them and pulling the trigger, but the weapon did not fire."

Cummins then pulled the slide back to chamber a live round, according a family member. The victim and two other household members fled the residence.

A short time later, the two family members returned to the residence, where they said Cummins fired shots into the air and ordered them to leave. The two family members then notified the sheriff's department.

"After the initial deputies arrived on the scene, it was determined that Cummins had secured the home and was prepared for a confrontation with law enforcement personnel," Walter said.

For the complete story, see the Thursday edition of the Standard Democrat.