LOWELL — Two Lowell men were arrested this weekend for their involvement in the Lowell incident; One for opening fire in a public place and the other for using a weapon while intoxicated.

According to Chief Deputy Mark Warden, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team responded to a residence where a distraught individual was located Sunday evening.

The warden identified the man as Tom Shanks of Lowell. He did not give Shanks an age.

He said the manager was notified of the incident around 6 p.m. Sunday and officers contacted Shanks, but he retreated to the residential area on the second floor of a detached garage.

“He basically barricaded himself in there.” The manager said.

The Sheriff’s Office established a perimeter around the scene and attempted to contact Shanks through negotiators, but according to the Warden, this was unsuccessful and the Sheriff’s Office launched drones.

“He actually fired a gun at the drones” The manager said.

He said Shanks also fired a gun into the residential area of ​​the detached garage.

During the incident, a man the Warden identified as Tony Wittekind of Lowell appeared in the area and offered assistance to the officers.

“He was drunk and armed” The manager said.

He said Wittekind was arrested and transported to the Washington County Jail.

Washington County Jail records show Whittekind is 62 and has been charged with using a weapon while intoxicated, a first-degree felony under the Ohio Revised Code.

Jail records showed a $1,000 cash bail bond was set for Wittekind. As of Monday, no payment had been made and he was still in prison.

stems “In the end it turned out without incident” The warden said and deputies transported him to the hospital as a precaution. He said Shanks was hospitalized but did not name the hospital.

The chief said the Sheriff’s Office was not on duty at the time of the incident, Shanks was not harmed during the incident, and did not shoot at officers at the scene.

The principal had no idea why Shanks was distraught.

The director said that during the incident, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office went door to door to some residences below the crime scene, asking residents to evacuate and notifying people of this situation through the county’s alarm system. According to the Warden, the evacuation was voluntary and a school was opened in Lowell for anyone who evacuated.

He said an adult was in the house next to the garage and they refused to evacuate and there was no threat to them until then.

Shanks does not appear on the Washington County Jail’s website and there is currently no information on what charges he may face. Shanks’ mugshot was not available as of press time.

According to Warden, the Lowell Police Chief, Lowell-Adams Volunteer Fire Department, Beverly-Waterford Rescue Squad, Reno Volunteer Fire Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Special Response Team responded to the scene.