An Ararat man was arrested following an alleged disturbance on May 3, according to Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith.
Joah Immanuel Shively, 19, of 157 Duplex Lane, was arrested and charged with assault and batter in connection with the incident that Smith said began when the Patrick County 911 center received a call around 1:30 p.m.
The caller stated a man inside of the home was armed with a knife threatening to kill everyone in the home. The caller advised the 911 operator that the man was threatening to kill law enforcement when they arrived, and that he was not letting anyone inside of the apartment leave.
Deputies arriving at the scene a short time later were confronted by the man, who allegedly was visibly agitated and armed with a large knife, Smith said. Deputies ordered the man to drop the knife multiple times, and he eventually did, though he allegedly remained non-compliant afterwards, according to the sheriff.
The man was taken into custody after being tased, and suffered minor injuries during the process.
“It is becoming far too common that our deputies are being faced with deadly force situations like this, I am grateful” the man “eventually complied and that lethal force was avoided,” Smith said in a release.
He added that his deputies have shown “an incredible level of restraint” in dealing with similar violent situations. However, Smith stressed that officers will not hesitate to protect themselves or the public when facing imminent danger.
“I really do not think that most people grasp the level of danger that our law enforcement officers are operating in today,” Smith said, and added the level “is far more volatile than I have ever seen.”
Shively is being held in the Patrick County Jail on a $3,500 bond.
