Crime & Safety
Dayton, OH Standoff: Man Allegedly Fired at Agents, SWAT Drone
Dayton, OH – A 51 year old man faces federal charges accusing him of opening fire on officers during an arrest attempt at a Dayton apartment building, triggering an approximately five hour standoff in
By Mason Reid · 2026-09-22T21:32:30.419Z
Dayton, OH – A 51 year old man faces federal charges accusing him of opening fire on officers during an arrest attempt at a Dayton apartment building, triggering an approximately five hour standoff involving local SWAT teams.
According to authorities and court documents cited by the Montgomery County Sheriff 's Office, federal agents located John L. Armstrong, of northeast Ohio, at an apartment building on Delphos Avenue on Aug. 25, 2025.
Agents with the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team surrounded the building and ordered occupants to exit. Armstrong allegedly opened an upstairs apartment door, identified himself to officers using another name, pointed a firearm into the stairway and fired at federal officers positioned below.
A deputy U.S. marshal and a federal task force officer suffered minor cuts from shrapnel after a round struck concrete inches from them, authorities said.
The Dayton Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office SWAT teams responded, leading to a standoff lasting approximately five hours. During the standoff, Armstrong allegedly fired three additional rounds at a drone being used by SWAT before authorities ultimately took him into custody.
Federal authorities charged Armstrong with attempted murder of federal officers, assaulting federal officers with a deadly and dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
Authorities said Armstrong has previous felony convictions, including aggravated robbery, involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping.
The charges are allegations contained in an indictment. Armstrong is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.