A 57-year-old man died Thursday night in a standoff with law enforcement after he barricaded himself in his camper van as he tried to enforce a felony warrant for his arrest.
Shortly after 6:45 p.m. Thursday, Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived in Winona, east of Flagstaff, and took Russell McCrory into custody. In addition to the ongoing felony warrant, McCrory was also wanted for probation violations, according to his attorney.
Deputies say McCrory refused to leave the camper and built a gun. Officers said McCrory later said he didn’t want to go to jail and wouldn’t be detained.
Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) K9 unit, a multi-agency SWAT team in Flagstaff, and negotiators were dispatched to assist in the arrest of McCrory.
On Wednesday, April 5, a third party reported to the Flagstaff Police Department that McCrory threatened to “kill two of his parole officers” and “take his .45 to court and blow everyone up.” Stated.
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Agents say the aggressive behavior displayed by McCrory on Thursday, combined with the reports, made the incident more tenuous. According to a CCSO press release, they kept him at the scene of his SWAT for five hours.
According to a press release, tear gas was released into McRory’s camper by a SWAT team after attempting to “defuse the situation and bring it to a peaceful conclusion.”
Sheriffs heard a single gunshot inside the camper shortly after tear gas was deployed.SWAT officers broke in and found McCrory shot dead, according to a CCSO press release.
The CCSO’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Coconino County Coroner’s Office are still investigating the case.
Sierra Ferguson can be reached at sierra.ferguson@lee.net.
