Thursday at approximately 12:25 p.m., officers from the Indiana State Police, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, the Kewanna Police Department, and the Rochester Police Department responded to a residence at 9432 West 525 North, rural Rochester, on a reported suicidal man threatening to cause harm to his neighbors.
When officers arrived, they found the home owner, Jacob Howard, 32, had barricaded himself in the residence with his 14-year-old daughter. Howard had allegedly made unprovoked threats to cause harm to his neighbors. Indiana State Police hostage negotiators tried to get Howard to release his daughter and exit the home.
Howard indicated he was not going to comply with the negotiators. At approximately 2:35 p.m., officers from the Indiana State Police SWAT entered the residence. They were able to take Howard into custody. Howard was incarcerated at the Fulton County Jail to face criminal charges for intimidation, resisting law enforcement, and unlawful use of body armor. The teen was released into the care of her grandmother.
During a subsequent search of Howard’s residence, officers found a shotgun and ammunition. When officers took Howard into custody, he was wearing a homemade bullet resistant vest.
