By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — An Ashtabula Township man and his neighbor were arrested after a barricade situation that sent several county sheriff’s deputies to Cook Road early Thursday afternoon.
A deputy sent to the 1900 block of Cook Road on a complaint at 1 p.m. encountered an occupant who became disorderly, said Detective Lt. Van Robison. At the same time, the deputy smelled an odor indicating illegal methamphetamines might have been on the premises, he said.
The occupant ran into the house and barricaded himself inside, Robison said. The man ignored deputies’ efforts to get him to open the door.
Unsure whether other people were in the house and concerned that a hostage situation might unfold, several deputies were dispatched to the scene, Robison said. A half-hour later, undercover officers apparently familiar with the man, arrived and spoke through the door with the occupant. After some dialogue, the man opened the door, Robison said.
“He became cooperative,” he said.
The man gave detectives permission to examine the house, Robison said.
“Nothing was taken,” he said.
The man, whose name and age were not immediately available, was arrested at the scene and charged with obstruction of justice, Robison said.
Another Cook Road man, a neighbor who was watching the incident, began abusing deputies verbally and also was charged with obstruction, Robison said. The neighbor’s name and age were not immediately available Thursday afternoon, either.
