After receiving reports of gunfire in the area of 3310 West Main Street Road, Batavia, shortly after noon on Tuesday, Sheriff's deputies engaged in a standoff with a resident that lasted until after 11 p.m.
There were no injuries to the resident, neighbors, or responding personnel, said Chief Deputy Brian Frieday.
Friday noted the area is a fairly residential neighborhood with houses close together and a trailer park nearby, so law enforcement carefully assessed the situation and moved slowly in trying to coax the man out of the small house on the property.
"Just in dealing with anybody with a gun call these days, sometimes you have to take the time and the extra caution to make sure you're dealing with it properly and safely," Frieday said.
Based on multiple witness statements supporting the assertion that there was gunfire on the property, the Sheriff's Office was able to obtain a search warrant for the house.
Throughout the 11-hour standoff, deputies continued to try and talk the man out of the residence. Every 15 minutes or so, deputies with guns drawn and using shields approached the house and spoke through a bullhorn, telling the man to come out of the house.
Frieday said the man responded once to deputies, but "that ended quickly."
The details of how the subject was taken into custody have not been released, but there were no injuries, Frieday said. He indicated there was no struggle.
Asked if he knew what shots were fired, Frieday said any answer he might give would be speculation.
"I wouldn't want to say anything that wouldn't be 100 percent accurate," Frieday said.
After investigators entered the residence, they were seen removing possible weapons and taking inventory of them at the scene.
While at the scene, with the investigation ongoing, Frieday didn't want to release the possible charges against the suspect. At least one potential charge was needed to get the warrant, but Frieday said he didn't want to release that charge until a press release was issued with all possible charges.
Asked what possible charges might apply to the situation, Frieday said it's illegal to fire a gun within 500 feet of a residence, there is possibly reckless endangerment, and "a few different things," he said.
Route 5 west of Wortendyke was closed to traffic throughout the standoff. That, too, Frieday said, was done out of an abundance of caution.
"If ever something were to break out and a passerby on the road was to have something bad happen to them, we certainly wouldn't want that," Frieday said. "We wouldn't want to second-guess that."
That's also why several homes in the immediate vicinity were evacuated, Frieday said.
Frieday said if other witnesses would like to come forward, they can call the Sheriff's Office at 585-343-5000.
UPDATE: Ryan J. Goldman, 31, was charged with reckless endangerment 2nd and discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a residence, an unclassified misdemeanor. He was issued an appearance ticket and released.
Photos by Howard Owens.
