UPDATED: Mesquite Police: Barricaded man shoots at SWAT officers during 12-hour standoff

Bullet impact marks are apparent on an armored police vehicle, Mesquite, Nevada, July 26, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Mesquite Police Department, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A man is in custody after a half-day standoff with police in Mesquite, Nevada.

Joseph Daut, 51, of Mesquite, bookings photo posted July 26, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Mesquite Police Department, St. George News

Joseph Daut, 51, of Mesquite, is charged with eight felony counts of attempted murder on a police officer.

Mesquite Police responded to a disturbance call involving a neighbor dispute at a residence on Arrowhead Lane between Bannock Street and 1st South Street at approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday.

“The initial information we received was that we had a male subject that had forced entry – kicked a door in to a neighbor’s home,” Mesquite Police Sgt. Quinn Averett told St. George News.

When police arrived, the man who kicked the door in, later identified as Daut, had returned to his own home. When confronted by police, he began threatening to kill officers with a firearm, Averett said.

At that point, responding officers made a perimeter around the home and began evacuating all the homes in the area while a SWAT team was called to the scene.

Just before midnight, Daut began shooting at the SWAT officers with a high-powered rifle, according to a statement issued by Mesquite Police Department.

“The suspect fired 8 rounds through the front window of the residence while officers were taking cover behind their armored vehicle, but the suspect never exited the residence,” the news release states.

A bullet impact mark apparent on an armored police vehicle, Mesquite, Nevada, July 26, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Mesquite Police Department, St. George News

Some of the rounds hit a heavily armored truck on which several bullet impact marks were visible.

“No officers were hit,” Averett said. “We continued negotiating with the subject over the phone for the next 10 hours or so.”

Police also deployed chemical projectiles through each of the home’s windows.

Teams from North Las Vegas SWAT arrived at around 5 a.m. to relieve Mesquite personnel. SWAT crews with K-9 units were finally able to make contact with the suspect and his dog in the backyard of the residence at about 8 a.m.

“Unfortunately, the suspect’s dog became aggressive towards the officers and the police K9s,” the news release states. “Due to the highly volatile situation and the suspect’s threats to SWAT officers, they were left with no choice but to put down the suspect’s dog in order to keep the police K9s and the officers safe.”

Daut was apprehended by a K-9 unit and taken into custody. He was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained from the K-9 before being booked into jail.

Investigators are still going over the crime scene, and more charges are possible as the investigation moves forward, according to the news release.

The incident caused the residential neighborhood surrounding the scene to be closed to all traffic and forced residents who were evacuated to find elsewhere to sleep for the night.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Update 9:20 p.m. Report updated with the suspect’s name and charges and additional details about the standoff.

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Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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4 Comments

  • DRT July 26, 2018 at 6:23 pm

    “While the suspect was being apprehended, he sustained injuries from a police K-9.”
    I understand it was love at first bite! ?

  • Bender July 26, 2018 at 8:35 pm

    Image the carnage that would have occurred had this citizen not been armed!

  • PlanetU July 26, 2018 at 8:40 pm

    That had to hurt, GOOD DOG!

  • Badshitzoo July 27, 2018 at 11:21 am

    And this is why law enforcement is militarizing in small town USA. Everyone has an AR in the closet.

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