Neighbor dispute leads to standoff
Authorities wait outside of a mobile home Friday during a standoff at Washington Estates.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Authorities wait outside of a mobile home Friday during a standoff at Washington Estates.
Residents of Washington Estates await a resolution to Friday night's standoff inside one of the plan's mobile homes.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Mobile home manager Danielle West passes out pizza to residents of Washington Estates who were waiting Friday for an end to a standoff in a residence in the park.
Several law enforcement agencies were called to a trailer park off Henderson Avenue in Canton Township Friday afternoon after a resident apparently barricaded himself in a residence.
The state police SERT team operates Friday night at a standoff at Washington Estates mobile home park.
CANTON – A dispute between neighbors in a Canton Township mobile home park that led to a seven-hour standoff with police Friday ended with the arrest of a man.
According to state police, the incident started shortly after 2 p.m. when officers responded to a call of residents fighting.
“We received a call for a disturbance in a trailer park between two neighbors who got into a confrontation,” said state trooper Robert Broadwater. “At one point, the gentleman went into his residence for a shotgun and came out with it.”
Broadwater said police attempted to negotiate with the man, Matt Evans, but he did not comply with their requests and later made comments about hurting himself.
At about 9:20 p.m., Evans walked out of his mobile home with his hands up and surrendered.
Police from Washington and Chartiers and South Strabane townships, along with the state police Special Emergency Response Team, responded to the incident.
Danielle West, manager of Washington Estates, said Evans has lived in the mobile home park for about 20 years and has not caused any problems.
“That’s what’s so surprising,” said West. “This is completely unusual and out of character.”
Several residents who live in the mobile home park were not permitted into their homes during the standoff, and many made the best of it, meeting new neighbors.
West ordered pizza and brought bottled water for those residents who were directed to stay outside the mobile home park.
One resident passed out popsicles.
“I’ve lived here for 13 years and it’s normally pretty quiet here,” said resident Debra Clinger, who was planning on leaving for vacation but couldn’t get to her home.
Resident April Herring was concerned about her mother, Judy Wright, with whom she lives in a mobile home near the standoff. Wright, who is legally blind and diabetic, was directed by police to stay in the home, but was able to communicate with Herring on the phone.
“I really want to get back to my mom,” said Herring. “I feel sorry for everybody. This is nuts.”
Neighbors expressed relief the standoff ended peacefully and without injury.
Broadwater said Evans likely will face several charges.