West Boulevard standoff ends quietly

By Vicky Wicks, Journal Staff Writer | Friday, December 09, 2005

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

RAPID CITY -- In subzero temperatures early Thursday morning, a couple of dozen law enforcement officers set up a perimeter around the 800 block of 12th Street to coax an escaped drunk-driving suspect out of his brother’s house.

Jahn Paul Formanek, 23, in handcuffs, escaped from the back seat of a police car after being arrested for third offense driving under the influence of alcohol, which is a felony, police officials said at a news conference later in the morning.

When the arresting officer and another officer went to the address Formanek gave at the time of his arrest — 816 12th St., they saw him in the house and established that he had a firearm, according to Rapid City Police Lt. James Johns.

Formanek fired a shot, probably from a shotgun, but apparently, he wasn’t shooting at officers or aiming outside, Johns said.

After the two officers heard the gunshot, they called for the Special Response Team, a combined team of police officers, Pennington County Sheriff’s deputies and Division of Criminal Investigation agents.

Officers “evacuated a couple of residences,” Johns said, and the owners of the house immediately north of Formanek’s house allowed the team to set up operations there.

After several hours of negotiation by phone, Formanek surrendered peacefully about 9:30 a.m., about five hours after the SRT was called out. He now faces felony charges of DUI-3 and escape and misdemeanor charges of careless driving, driving without insurance, possession of a firearm while intoxicated and driving under revocation.

He was taken to Pennington County Jail and will be set for an initial appearance in 7th Circuit Magistrate Court, probably this morning, Johns said.

Formanek was initially pulled over at 1:30 a.m. near the intersection of Kansas City and Sixth streets, about six blocks from Formanek’s brother’s house. The officer arrested Formanek for DUI, handcuffed his hands in front of him and put him in the back seat of the patrol car, Johns said.

The safety latch on the patrol car was switched off or was not operational, and Formanek was able to get out of the back seat and run away while the officer was searching Formanek’s car and preparing it to be towed, Johns said.

About 5:30 a.m., the SRT made contact with Formanek, using a “throw phone” used for negotiations. Johns said Formanek had two shotguns and a long rifle in the house. During the standoff, he surrendered two of the weapons. Johns was not sure which weapons were surrendered or which one was fired inside the house.

The police department will do an internal review of Formanek’s escape, and the arresting officer will remain on duty, Johns said. The officer’s actions conformed to standard procedures; the inventory of a suspect’s vehicle is “usually a pretty thorough search,” and officers have discretion to handcuff suspects’ hands in front if they seem cooperative, Johns said.

Police Capt. Ed Hofkamp said the department is declining to publicly name the officer.

Contact Vicky Wicks at 394-8318 or vicky.wicks@rapidcityjournal.com