HEBER SPRINGS (KTHV/AP) -- A former sheriff’s deputy was arrested Friday night after barricading himself inside the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office with a rifle.
According to the Cleburne County Sheriff Chris Brown, Jeffery Todd Maxey, 46, of Heber Springs, entered the sheriff’s office lobby just after 4 p.m. on Friday, January 4.
Armed with a rifle, Maxey then barricaded himself inside a lobby bathroom and threatened to shoot himself or anyone who tried to arrest him, Brown said.
The situation prompted an evacuation of the sheriff’s office and affected operations at the adjacent county courthouse. The county jail, which is part of the same complex, was not impacted by the standoff.
Law enforcement officers from across the region responded, including SWAT teams from Arkansas State Police and the White County Sheriff’s Office.
Maxey surrendered after about four hours of negotiations. He was arrested and taken to a neighboring jail. No one was injured during the standoff, Brown said.
“We are grateful to the assisting agencies, and very thankful that this incident ended without any injuries,” Sheriff Brown said in a written statement. “ We ask that you keep all involved in your thoughts and prayers.”
According to an Associated Press report, Maxey was fired from the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office in February 2017 over an ethics violation after giving conflicting information about driving past a stopped school bus.
Maxey is currently being held at White County Sheriff's Office.
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