Man accused of using children as a shield in standoff indicted on charges

DAYTON — The man police said used children as human shields during a standoff in Dayton earlier this month has been indicted on 11 charges.

Todd Anthony King, 57, of Dayton was indicted on five counts of felonious assault, two counts of child endangering and several other charges.

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King was arrested following the standoff which lasted nearly 11 hours at a home on Elsmere Avenue last week.

Two police officers exchanged gunfire with King during the standoff, police said.

Officers first responded to the home in the 1900 block of Elsmere Avenue about 10 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a call of a domestic disturbance, Dayton police Maj. Joe Wiesman said.

“As (officers) approached the house, the suspect in this case fired rounds at the officers,” Wiesman said. “The officers returned fire. Luckily no body was hit.”

The exchange of gunfire prompted police to request SWAT from both Dayton police and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

King was armed with a rifle and handgun and police believe he might have had a sniper rifle in the house as well, according to Wiesman.

A 2-year-old child and another who is 8 months old were in the house, police said. King would hold or place the children in front of him, using them as human shields during the standoff, according to police.

Police convinced King to come out of the house just before 9 a.m. Wednesday. He was taken into custody.

The two children appeared unharmed physically. They were taken to a hospital for evaluation as a precaution, police said. They have been placed in the custody of their mother, according to police.

King suffered a superficial laceration, likely from debris, during the incident, according to police.

Officers remained on the scene into the afternoon to search the house and collect evidence.

"The initial officers responded promptly and appropriately to a volatile and life-threatening situation. Their response and use of counter-force was done to protect their lives, the lives of innocent members of the community, and specifically the children at risk inside the home,” Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl said.

“The subsequent tactical response by additional Dayton police officers and Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies, and the collective patience demonstrated by all police personnel throughout the more than 10-hour standoff, was exemplary and in keeping with the highest standards of service to the public," the chief said.

Dayton homicide detectives are conducting the criminal investigation and will present charges for prosecution. The officers who exchanged gunfire during the standoff have been placed on administrative leave while the department’s Professional Standards Bureau conducts an independent internal investigation.

The names of the officers involved in the exchange of gunfire have not been released.