INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A man was jailed overnight after deputies said he made threats to get in a shootout before firing a handgun in front of his apartment. The 62-year-old man then barricaded himself inside his unit, prompting a massive response from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and the Vero Beach Police Department.
Kendall Wireman
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Kendall J. Wireman, of the 500 block of 8th Lane, was charged with discharging a firearm in public and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Wireman was held Monday at the Indian River County Jail on $55,000 bond.
No injuries were reported in the incident, which led deputies to evacuate residents late Sunday on the west side of Pemberly Palms Apartments. The Indian River sheriff’s crisis negotiation team was in communication with Wireman while the SWAT team was stationed at the scene, sheriff’s spokesperson Lt. Joe Abollo said.
Wireman eventually surrendered to deputies without incident at 11:35 p.m. Sunday after the standoff that lasted several hours, Abollo said. Wireman told deputies he fired a BB gun and threw the pellet gun into the ditch on 8th Street.
Deputies recovered a gun from Wireman’s apartment. It was not immediately clear if it was the same weapon Wireman fired off earlier that day.
Indian River County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of an exhibition of a weapon about 5:45 p.m. at the apartment complex located off 8th Street and Indian River Boulevard. Witnesses said Wireman told them to go inside and that he was going to get in a shootout, according to Abollo and reports.
Sheriff’s officials initially said the threats were directed toward law enforcement, but later clarified they were not.
Neighbors saw Wireman fire the gun toward 8th Street while he stood on the sidewalk in front of his residence, deputies said. Wireman then walked back to his apartment and barricaded himself inside, reports show.
The SWAT team and crisis negotiators were able to get Wireman out of the house and detained him, deputies said. Deputies searched Wireman’s residence and found a .380 caliber Taurus – along with a bag containing several caliber bullets and two boxes of ammunition – inside the attic, reports show.
Wireman admitted to deputies he told his neighbors he was going to be in a shootout, sheriff’s officials said.
Deputies arrested Wireman and booked him into the county jail. Wireman has an arraignment at 8:45 a.m. April 27, court records show.
Photos by Joshua Kodis and provided by Indian River County Sheriff’s Office
