Middletown – The Delaware State Police along with multiple allied police agencies continue to surround a home on St. Michaels Drive in the Brick Mill Farms Development in Middletown. The man wanted in the shooting death of Delaware State Trooper Cpl./1 Stephen J. Ballard remains barricaded inside the residence and is armed with firearm, according to Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Gary Fournier.
Fournier said that at 8:22 p.m. on Wednesday the Explosives Ordinance Disposal Unit (EOD) utilized an explosive breaching charge on the front door. At that time, no entry was made into the residence.
Around 4:00 a.m. this morning officers once again came under fire from the suspect. Police responded by explosively breaching numerous windows but did not entered the residence.
Multiple Special Operations Response Teams and Conflict Management Teams from allied police agencies are attempting to make contact with the male subject and are continuing to attempt to persuade him to surrender, according to Fouriner
Residents in the area remain evacuated. The Odessa Fire Company, located at 304 Main Street in Odessa, opened its facility to temporarily house the evacuated residents of Brick Mill Farms Development while police continue to negotiate with the armed barricaded subject.
Trooper Stephen J. Ballard a 8.5 year veteran of the Delaware State Police, assigned to patrol at Troop 2 in Glasgow, was 32-years-old