Suspect wanted for stabbings, murder arrested after hours-long standoff - Sidney Daily News (2024)

SIDNEY — Two men were stabbed in a fight in Brown Park after midnight on Thursday, and after a standoff on Thursday evening across town lasted about nine hours, a juvenile suspect was apprehended.

A 23-year-old man who has not yet been identified by authorities was pronounced dead early Thursday at Wilson Health. Numerous social media posts have indicated the victim’s name is Christian Vaughn. A juvenile male was also severely injured in the stabbing and is in critical condition at Miami Valley Hospital.

Sidney police investigated through the night and served a felony murder warrant for the suspect at 410 Second Ave. at about 9:30 a.m. A standoff lasted about nine hours, but the suspect, who is a 16-year-old male, was apprehended near the attic of the house at about 6:20 p.m.

In addition to the murder charge, the suspect was also charged with one count of felonious assault.

Sidney deputy police chief Aaron Rode said was hiding in a small compartment.

“Honestly, I think it was just our perseverance. We didn’t give up,” Rode said. “We had intelligence that he was inside of the house, we were gathering information as we were going along and persevering through something like that. And making sure that we’re able to apprehend a felony murder suspect is obviously of the utmost importance to us. We weren’t going to quit until we had him.”

Rode said the incident at Brown Park early Thursday started as a group fight and involved approximately 10 people.

Piqua police and Ohio State Highway Patrol’s tactical response teams aided Sidney’s SWAT team. The teams used flash bangs and tear gas a few times in the first hours of the standoff, then entered the home multiple times.

Rode said the residence was very cluttered; officers had to move many objects onto the porch from inside the house.

Authorities were unsure if the suspect was at the residence, which is located near Michigan Street close to Wilson Health. But Rode said the suspect’s family contacted police when he returned to the residence at approximately 9 a.m.

“My assumption, just from having been exposed before, that he was able to isolate himself in such a tight spot that there just wasn’t enough ventilation there for the chemicals to reach him,” Rode said.

“We were inside the house for hours. And what a lot of times what officers do, especially the tag team, will do a primary search. We’ll switch staff and we’ll do a secondary search. So you’re looking at an area that you haven’t been through before just a separate set of eyes.”

The suspect was uninjured. Rode said he was going to be transported to Shelby County Jail after being interviewed by investigators. He was the only suspect according to Rode; scanner traffic Thursday morning indicated police were looking for two men.

Family of both the stabbing victims and the suspect were among those in a large crowd of people watching in the area surrounding the house; the neighborhood contains several medical offices with large parking lots, where people congregated.

“That’s one of the best parts of this job that we resolve the conflict without any further injury,” Rode said. “We know emotions run high, and we’re able to deliver some sort of justice, although it might not be what the family wished for at the time, but it’s still, in our minds, it’s the right thing.”

Rode said both the victim and the suspect’s families were cooperating.

It is the second homicide in Sidney a year’s time; a North Carolina semi truck driver was arrested last year after allegedly killing an Eaton man in the parking lot of Angstrom Fiber.

Rode, who joined the Sidney Police Department last year after previously working in Lima, said there is no trend of violence.

“In my experience, Sidney has been relatively peaceful and safe,” Rode said. “I think you’ll have pockets of this no matter where you’re at. I mean, you can’t stop juveniles for fighting. Tempers run and then just some bad choices. Some mistakes are made.”

Rode thanked all law enforcement departments that aided Sidney police.

“Just an all-around fantastic team effort,” Rode said.

Reach Sidney Daily News editor Bryant Billing at 937-538-4822, or follow @BryantBillingSDN on Facebook or @TopBillingSport on X (Twitter).