News

October 24, 2012

Rome (WENY) - A man who lives across the street from home that was surrounded by police during a 12 hour-long standoff in the Northern Tier says he heard the entire situation play out from his front porch. Pennsylvania State Police say the Rome township man responsible for yesterday's standoff is in custody, with no one hurt during the ordeal. But while police were trying to end the situation calmly, neighbors on that street were stranded in their homes. For Sam Bullock and his family, it started as a normal day.

      “I don't want to say annoying but it was kind of strange like being stuck at home with now power,” says Bullock. “Your just waiting for it to come back on and with this you are just waiting for it to end.”

      But just after 10 o'clock in the morning, he noticed state police cars outside his home. What turned into a day-long standoff, started here at this dandy Mart on main street in Rome. Investigators say the suspect Steve Brown and the victim, his girlfriend who he held hostage, stopped at the Dandy around 9 a.m. and the woman went inside. She told employees Brown was holding her against her will, and that if she didn't get back to the car fast, he would come in and start shooting. After she left, an employee called 911.It quickly turned into a hostage situation at this home. Sam says he could hear the police talking to Steve over the speakers.

      “One of them was 'Steve I know your not a bad guy just come out and talk to us and we can figure this thing out we don’t want to hurt you,” says Bullock.

      Sam says at around 1 o'clock in the afternoon he noticed a woman in the back of a police cruiser leaving the scene. It was quiet until it got dark out.

       “Then it got pretty quiet then they set off a bunch of flash bangs, half hour intervals and then it was pretty quiet.”

       Police arrested Brown around 11:30 last night. They haven't told us exactly what brought the 12 hour standoff to an end, but Brown was taken to Robert Packer Hospital, where he was evaluated for suspected use of bath salts.

      “I think its getting to the point to where meth was a few years ago where it was blown out of proportion,” says Bullock. “Like there is a problem but it wasn't quite as bad as people are saying. Its not as wide spread and there are people that do it and it is pretty detrimental.”

      Brown is in the Bradford County Correctional Facility on $500,000 bail. He faces Kidnapping, Endangering the Welfare of Another Person and a slew of other charges.