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Judiciary committee hears support for 'barricade' offense to deter prolonged standoffs
Summary
Proponents including a deputy U.S. marshal and the Ohio FOP urged the committee to pass SB 188, saying a new barricade offense would help protect officers and civilians during prolonged standoffs; witnesses differed with members about whether comparable laws exist elsewhere.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Josh Lowe and Jay McDonnell, president of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, urged the State Judiciary Committee to advance SB 188, a bill that would create a barricade offense targeting prolonged, dangerous standoffs that endanger officers and civilians.
Lowe, who supervises the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, described an uptick in barricaded fugitives and testified the bill would provide law enforcement a negotiation tool and a deterrent against tactics that ‘‘increase the risk to officer and civilian safety’’ and impose substantial resource burdens. In response to committee questions, Lowe said he was not aware of an identical statute in other states and explained the charge would likely attach in prolonged incidents involving structural damage, endangered minors or elderly residents, or deployment of less-lethal or lethal responses.
Jay McDonnell, president of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio and chief of police in Marion, said barricade situations frequently force SWAT call-outs, evacuations and resource strains, and urged the committee to favor SB 188 to improve officer safety.
Committee members pressed witnesses on the law’s intended scope and when the proposed barricade charge would apply; witnesses described common scenarios (arrest warrants, occupants refusing to exit, negotiators communicating by phone) and said the bill is aimed at cases where a suspect ‘‘refuses to come out’’ and the standoff escalates. SB 188 was left as a second hearing.
