Armed, barricaded subject incident in Frederick County ends peacefully

On 4/23/21 the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded to 2492-46 Martinsburg Pike in regard to a domestic situation involving a firearm. The caller advised that Michael McGhee was intoxicated and that he had taken her vehicle, crashed it, and then returned to the residence where an argument ensued where McGhee stated he wanted to kill himself. Dispatchers were informed that the female caller took the couple’s 6-year-old child and fled the residence after McGhee grabbed a hunting-type rifle and fired a single round inside the house.

Arriving units on the scene set up a perimeter and evacuated neighboring residences out of an abundance of caution for the public’s safety. Once securing the perimeter, loudspeaker announcements were made to instruct McGhee to come out of the house unarmed without success. A command post was established and, after a situational briefing, the FCSO Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT) and SWAT team were both activated and responded to the call.

Once SWAT and CNT were on scene, a portable two-way communications device was deployed into the residence in an attempt to communicate with McGhee. Numerous attempts to contact McGhee via the portable device, his cellphone, and ongoing loudspeaker announcements were all unsuccessful. McGhee’s father, who was now on the scene, also attempted numerous times to talk his son out of the house with negative results. A portable robotic device from the Winchester P.D.’s SWAT team was deployed but was unable to maneuver through all areas inside the dwelling
to verify McGhee’s location and condition.

In a final attempt to avoid a forced entry and possible armed confrontation with McGhee, chemical agents were deployed to get McGhee to exit the residence peacefully. After the first disbursement appeared unsuccessful, a pole camera was deployed through a bedroom window. A heat source was detected and appeared to show a person on the bed hiding under the covers.

SWAT member’s made entry into the house and toward that bedroom door. While moving forward a door that was cracked open was slammed shut. Again, trying to avoid a possible armed conflict, SWAT was pulled out and another deployment of chemical agents was made into that specific room.

A few moments after this deployment, McGhee came to the bedroom window and advised he was coming out and proceeded to exit out of the bedroom window where he was taken into custody without incident. McGhee was checked out by EMS, where he refused medical treatment, before being taken to the adult detention facility.

Warrants for Felony discharge of a firearm in a dwelling and brandishing a firearm were obtained and served with McGhee being held without bond.

Sheriff Lenny Millholland is pleased with the handling of this situation and relieved that everyone involved is safe. “I can’t express my gratitude enough for the professionalism displayed by our people today,” said the Sheriff, noting this is the second such type of incident in the past few weeks. Sheriff Millholland concluded “While we hope for a time when such things no longer take place, the sad truth is it can happen anywhere. That’s why we will continue to acquire necessary equipment and provide the proper training to address any such type of incident.”