Updated: Man Charged in A.M. Standoff with Police

By WYDaily Staff Monday, June 14, 2010

Williamsburg Police Department Major Andrew Barker said Mark William Toward has been charged with abduction and threatening to burn down a building. He is being held without bond at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.

The standoff began today around 5:13 a.m., when police received a call from Toward, who said he intended to harm people in his apartment in the 3200 block of Lake Powell Road.

Police responded, and on arrival found Toward had barricaded himself in the apartment, where other people were also present.

Police negotiators began a conversation with Toward and around 9:15 a.m. he surrendered without incident. The others in the residence were unharmed.

During the standoff police requested that Route 199 be closed at Jamestown Road. The route was closed for about four hours, snarling traffic as police from James City and York counties, along with state troopers, joined city officers.

The police activity affected arrival of students and teachers at Rawls Byrd Elementary School, causing them to be rerouted to Jamestown High School for a few hours.

In a written statement, Williamsburg James City Schools Spokesman Greg Davy explained that student safety was the division's top priority, so they were diverted on buses to Jamestown High. Students who normally walk to school were asked to remain home until all bussed students returned to school.

Rawls Byrd pre-K students who were rerouted to Norge Elementary School will finish their day at Norge, with dismissal at 12:30 p.m.

Check back at WYDaily.com for updates to this developing story.

Comments  

 

+3 #9 Guest 2010-06-15 12:20

What a bunch of whining elitists this town has. Hey, it was an emergency. No one got hurt. Be happy with that.

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-1 #8 Guest 2010-06-15 08:44

Quoting Sharon:

Isn't this type of situation what the JCC alerts and texts are for??? Got the notice of the Surrey test, but not this!!

Excellent point! It would have helped many citizens who were trying to reach school and work.

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+1 #7 Guest 2010-06-14 20:15

Isn't this type of situation what the JCC alerts and texts are for??? Got the notice of the Surrey test, but not this!!

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+5 #6 Guest 2010-06-14 15:05

there's your reason why the news was contained and not broadcast : "My grandmother called us frantic, and everyone was freaking out."
widespread panic instead of a few confused, frustrated drivers.

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-2 #5 Guest 2010-06-14 14:00

Wow, my cousin goes to Rawls Burg Elementary. My grandmother called us frantic, and everyone was freaking out. Thank goodness that it didn't truly effect the kids at the school.
I hope everyone else is okay though.

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+7 #4 Guest 2010-06-14 11:04

The radio station I listen to was warning folks to avoid the 199 and Jamestown Road area -- apparently the news got out to some folks.

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+3 #3 Guest 2010-06-14 10:47

I dont travel that way in the morning but several of my co-workers do and they were baffled as to what was going on.
I think there could have been better notification to the public to avoid that area if possible. Why were the police not able to alert the public?

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+10 #2 Guest 2010-06-14 09:53

Our police do an outstanding job rectifying situations, and save lives, but why was there no news about the event on the local radio or tv stations? Why did police not notify the daycare center and staff of La Petite very near to this incident? If police had at least said avoid the Rt 199/Brookwood/J amestown Road areas residents could have avoided the 1-hour parking lot on Rt 199. In addition, after the incident was over all the police left and did not direct all that backed up traffic, so it took another 30 minutes to move anywhere!

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+2 #1 Guest 2010-06-14 09:20

SCARYYYYY STUFFFF

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