MITCHELL – An Orleans man was arrested after Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Mitchell Police officers responded to a home in the 160 block of Dale Street at 6:30 a.m. Monday.
Officers located 40-year-old Joe Porter inside.
“While attempting to take Porter into custody, he started resisting and grabbed a box cutter style knife,” said Chief Deputy Gregg Taylor. “Our officer deployed tasers which were ineffective on Porter. He then retreated into a bedroom and barricaded himself inside. There were two other people sleeping in the room.”
Two barbs struck Porter but he grabbed them and ripped them out of his chest. He then ran to the bedroom and slammed the door.
After a period of time Porter let the other occupants leave, a female and an elderly male, but he continued to stay in the bedroom.
The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department ERT Team and Indiana State Police troopers and other Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived on the scene.
“Officers continued to communicate with Porter who eventually threw the box cutter out of the bedroom window and then surrendered to police, he was then taken into custody without incident,” Chief Deputy Taylor added.
After being medically cleared at the scene by an IU Health Hospital ambulance crew Porter was transported to the Lawrence County Jail.
Porter was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear and is now facing new charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, two counts of criminal confinement with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, and intimidation.
