Walmart standoff ends peacefully - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Walmart standoff ends peacefully

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One man is in custody after a four-hour standoff at the Central Avenue Walmart, where a man was barricaded inside of a camper in the parking lot.

Officers from multiple agencies were able to end the conflict with a peaceful resolution. The suspect is now in custody, being held at the Lucas County jail.

Craig Latsa, 51, is from Richfield, Ohio. Police say he may have recently moved to this area. Latsa faces charges of inducing panic, disorderly conduct and obstructing official business.

It all started shortly after 2 a.m. Friday morning.

A group of people walking by a camper in the Walmart parking lot  and say they heard a man inside ranting and raving, saying "Hitler's dead" and "I want a gun."

Officers say they tried to make contact with the man inside, but no one answered, so they put the Central Avenue Walmart on lockdown and called in the special response team.

They busted through a window of the camper and threw a cell phone inside. When the suspect did not pick up the phone, police fired tear gas into the vehicle.

Shortly after that, a man emerged from the smoke with his hands in the air. Officers took him into custody.

"There was no indication he had a gun, but you never, you never know," says Sylvania Twp. Deputy chief Ray Carroll. "I mean, look at the news all around the country. Crazy things happen. So our goal was to maintain the safety of the public and also our officers."

Investigators say they did not find any weapons inside of the camper, only empty bottles of alcohol.

By 6:45 a.m., over four hours later, customers inside the Walmart were allowed to leave.

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