VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) — Police say a stand-off situation involving a 6-month-old baby ended in an arrest after the suspect fell through the attic where he was hiding.
Valdosta Police responded to a home on East Brookwood Drive in reference to a verbal argument between a man and woman on Tuesday around 9:13 p.m.
During the investigation of the dispute, officers were told that 25-year-old Anthony Phillips had locked himself inside a residence with a six-month-old child and would not come out. Witnesses told police that he is known to carry a gun and officers confirmed that Phillips had an active arrest warrant.
When officers arrived on scene, they tried to talk to Phillips, but he refused to respond.
The Valdosta Police Department Crisis Negotiations Unit also responded to the scene to try and get both the child and Phillips out of the home safely. As negotiators were attempting to make contact with Phillips, they could hear a child crying loudly coming from inside the home.
Shortly after, negotiators and officers forced their way into the home to ensure the child was alright and quickly removed the child from the home to begin searching for Phillips.
While searching the home, police say Phillips fell through the ceiling from where he had been hiding in the attic. He was taken into custody and transported to Lowndes County Jail without incident.
Phillips was charged with criminal trespass, along with his violation of probation felony warrant.
VPD is still investigating and say further charges are pending.
Police say the child was checked by EMS on scene and was found to be fine. No one was injured during the incident.
“Our Crisis Negotiators are specially trained to communicate with subjects to de-escalate situations. When hearing the child crying loudly, our negotiators and officers put their lives at risk by quickly forcing their way into the residence to get the child to safety," said VPD Chief Leslie Manahan. "This was an outstanding job by everyone to ensure Phillips was taken into custody and no one was injured.”
