Denair, CA -
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 59-year-old Denair man at his home after an armed standoff lasting four hours.
On Monday, August 12, 2024, at 2:25 p.m., firefighters and patrol deputies were dispatched to the 2900 block of Salluce Drive in Denair on reports of a motorcycle on fire in the driveway of a person’s residence.
The original call was made by neighbors and people passing by who then reported seeing the homeowner and his wife involved in an argument out front. We later learned the man was armed with a firearm. He was soon identified as Hurshel Vernon Myers.
As firefighters and patrol deputies began arriving on-scene, they were able to get the fire under control, and take the woman away to a place of safety. Myers began threatening emergency first responders with great bodily injury or death while still armed with a firearm.
The Sheriff’s Office quickly established containment of the residence, surrounded it with a perimeter, and began bringing in other outside resources to help with peacefully resolving the situation. Negotiations were sporadic and difficult to establish with Myers, who was barricaded inside refusing to surrender.
Deputies were able to obtain a search and arrest warrant, which were authorized by a local superior court judge. Myers was alleged to have committed felony criminal threats, weapons brandishing, as well as resisting, delaying, obstructing, & threatening an executive/peace officer(s).
The standoff lasted until 6:37 p.m., which was when Myers finally came outside. He did not follow the commands of SWAT team operators and patrol deputies who were positioned out front. A short struggle ensued in the yard near our armored truck. K-9 “Renzo” was used to help apprehend and detain Myers in the driveway.
Myers was treated, transported & admitted to a local area hospital for the dog bite injuries he sustained during arrest. Myers faces all of the previously mentioned charges once he is discharged. He will then be booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center for the charges previously described and held in lieu of $150,000 bond set forth in the warrant.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. No law enforcement officers or other bystanders were injured during this incident.
Pursuant to the search warrant, the Sheriff’s Office seized seventeen firearms and hundreds, if not thousands, of rounds of ammunition for evidence and general safekeeping. We thank all of those who participated in today’s critical incident response and are grateful this situation did not escalate or devolve into something much worse.
