Tear gas brings end to 6-hour standoff at Brown St. house
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
A six-hour standoff between an Atmore man who shot several times at a city police officer, then barricaded himself and his girlfriend inside their Brown Street residence Monday night (February 10), ended when a Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) SWAT team used tear gas to bring the suspect out of the house.
Francis Tyrone Blount, 46, who has at least one prior gun-related conviction, finally surrendered to authorities around 11:40 p.m.
According to Atmore Police Department reports, the incident started around 5:45 p.m., when officers were dispatched to 103 Brown Street in response to a domestic violence complaint.
When the first officer arrived, Blount “stepped out through the front door and fired eight to nine rounds at the officer,” reported APD Sgt. Darrell McMann. McMann added that the officer took cover as Blount retreated into the residence and barricaded the door, holding his girlfriend, who has not been identified, against her will.
APD’s special response team was activated, and the team leader requested assistance from neighboring agencies. Soon northeastern Atmore was awash in blue lights, as an estimated 50-to-60 law enforcement vehicles and about 75 officers responded.
BCSO patrol deputies, SWAT team members and hostage negotiators arrived, as did Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) hostage negotiators and state troopers. Escambia County sheriff’s deputies and officers from Flomaton PD and Poarch Tribal PD helped secure and man a perimeter around the crime scene as large crowds gathered to watch the spectacle.
Staging areas were established at Greater Mt. Triumph Baptist Church (SWAT team), and at Zion Star AME Church on Carver Avenue, from where Baldwin County deputies flew a drone over the house and monitored its video feed.
Hostage negotiators made cell phone contact with Blount and were able to successfully negotiate the release of the hostage around 9:25 p.m. The woman, who was not seriously injured, was treated at the staging area by Medstar medical personnel.
Negotiators and family members continued speaking with Blount by phone, and SWAT team members finally fired tear gas canisters through an open door “to encourage Blount to leave the residence.” He walked out of the house and gave himself up around 11:40 p.m., police said.
Blount was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center on one count each of attempted murder (of a police officer), first-degree kidnapping, being a certain person forbidden to possess a firearm, and third-degree domestic violence-harassment.
He remained in the county jail early Tuesday, awaiting arraignment and consideration of bond. No mugshot had been posted on the jail website by Tuesday’s press deadline.