Police identify marine connected to 8-hour standoff in Mooresville

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A more than eight-hour standoff in Mooresville came to an end Sunday with one man in custody and no one injured.

Officials were forced to close a 1-mile stretch of River Highway from Perth Road to Robinson Road around 4:30 a.m.

Investigators said Nicholas Williams, 26, who is on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, was armed and refused to get out of his car after being involved in a chase with Catawba County deputies.

The Iredell County Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team was called to the scene to negotiate with Williams.

Officials determined he was involved in a domestic situation at a nearby apartment complex in Mooresville around 3 a.m. Sunday.

Williams left before officers arrived to the scene. Officials said they alerted other law enforcement agencies.

A short time later, Williams was spotted in his vehicle in Catawba County. He led deputies on a chase that ended on River Highway near Berea Baptist Church.  However, he refused to surrender, officials said.

“The suspect did have a weapon and was threatening to harm himself or others,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said.

Campbell said SERT utilized a distraction sound known as a “flash bang” and released tear gas to subdue Williams.

He was taken into custody and transported to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center to be treated for exposure to the tear gas.

“I’m proud of the job our guys have done,” Campbell said. “No guns were fired. He was taken into custody.”

Mooresville Police are seeking charges for five counts of felonious assault with firearm on law enforcement officers and two counts of misdemeanor resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer.

Officers found a military-grade rifle in his car and after getting a search warrant, they found a Glock magazine with rounds, pocket knife and military paperwork.

Hundreds of people were impacted by the standoff. A nearby church had to cancel its Sunday services.

“I apologize for that but had he got to the area and got to the church it could have been a bad situation,” the sheriff said.

Some residents were also unable to get to their homes. Nearby businesses, particularly restaurants with Mother’s Day reservations, were also impacted.

“I just wanted to make sure the rest of my family was safe,” said Shannon Tomsovic, who was with her daughter and watching the situation unfold from a nearby shopping plaza. “My prayers are with him and his family right now because they’re going to need it.”

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