Fairfield man arrested after standoff

FAIRFIELD – Fairfield High School was placed on a lockdown Friday, May 9 because of an incident happening nearby involving a potentially armed man.

Benjamin Reynolds Moore V, age 35 of Fairfield, was arrested that day and charged with Interference with Official Acts While Displaying a Deadly Weapon (Class D Felony) and Domestic Abuse Assault with Bodily Injury (Serious Misdemeanor).

According to a news release from the Fairfield Police Department, officers were dispatched to the 900 block of East Jefferson Avenue at 9:48 a.m. May 9 regarding a domestic assault between a male and female. The caller indicated that the assault was taking place in the street, and that the male subject might be armed with a firearm. According to the police report filed on the incident, officers were notified by dispatch that the male had fired two rounds in the residence from an unknown weapon.

Upon arrival, officers learned that the female had left the residence with children. Officers attempted to communicate with the male inside, encouraging him to leave.

“The defendant was asked to exit with his hands up and peacefully,” the police report reads. “The defendant refused to do so despite multiple attempts to make contact with him.”

The female returned to the scene, and was asked to contact the male using the Chief of Police’s phone. The report states that, during these negotiations, the male notified the Chief that he was going to exit the residence while brandishing a knife so the officers would shoot him.

“After an hour and 45 minutes, the defendant exited the home peacefully,” the report reads. “He was taken into custody without further incident.”

Officers examined the home and found multiple knives inside the doorway, as well as a Ruger .22 revolver, ammunition for it, a semi-automatic handgun with ammunition, ammunition for a 20-gauge shotgun, and a BB gun.

An interview with a witness indicated that the female victim was taken to the ground and grabbed multiple times. Officers observed a cut on the rear of her right arm that was bleeding.

Because of the proximity of this incident to the high school, the building was placed in a “hold” meaning nobody was allowed to enter or leave. The school stated on its Facebook page that this was a “precautionary measure” and that there was “no immediate threat inside the school.”

Moore was transported to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility and held without bond pending an initial court appearance. Assisting in the case were the Strategic Response Team, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and Jefferson County Ambulance.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com