Chaffee man arrested after 2-hour standoff

Kenneth Cummins

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

Kenneth Eugene Cummins Sr., 53, of rural Chaffee is charged with the felonies of first degree domestic assault and 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 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.

A request for additional assistance was made by those on scene. Walter, additional Scott County deputies, a Cape Girardeau County deputy, officers with the Chaffee Police Department and members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to assist.

Traffic on State Highway 77 was diverted, and the Burlington Northern Railroad was notified to stop traffic on the line near the residence.

At about 11:27 p.m. with the assistance of another family member, the standoff ended when Cummins surrendered to authorities. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Scott County Jail pending the filing of formal charges by the Scott County prosecuting attorney.

A subsequent search of the residence assisted by a Cape Girardeau Police Department canine unit revealed multiple firearms placed about in the residence. Among them was a loaded semi-automatic rifle near the front door with four additional loaded magazines. Also recovered was a metal pipe with residue identified as having the properties of marijuana.

Walter said he was very pleased with the outcome of this incident.

"The goal in these situations is to secure the scene, de-escalate the situation, prevent the loss of life and take the individual into custody without harm, and that's what happened," Walter said.

Cummins remains in custody at the Scott County Jail. Bond was set by the court at $50,000 cash or surety.