Tuesday, June 18, 2013

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Standoff subject in custody
Posted: 02.19.2013 at 10:59 AM
Updated: 02.19.2013 at 12:55 PM
KHQA Newsdesk
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 / KHQA's Jim Whitfield
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Raw interview with Quincy Police Chief Rob Copley added.

QUINCY, ILL. -- The subject of a 21-hour standoff with police is in custody.

Quincy Police Department took Donald R. Pruett into custody shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday. Police are taking him to Blessing Hospital for a mental evaluation.

Pruett is a suspect in an sex-crime case involving a minor. He barricaded himself inside his home on Center Granview about 2:30 p.m. Monday after two detectives came to his home.

Quincy Police Chief Rob Copley told reporters that after 21-hours, Pruett decided it was time to turn himself in. Police also removed a handgun from the house.

State's Attorney Jon Barnard said that Pruett's first court hearing could take place Wednesday or Thursday depending on the length of Pruett's evaluation at Blessing.

The stand-off drew onlookers and caused traffic delays in the quiet neighborhood that sits off of Harrison Street near 18th Street.

School buses couldn't pass through the neighborhood Tuesday morning because of the barricades. Officials from the School District's transportation office came to the neighborhood at 6:30 a.m. to escort children to temporary bus stops.

District transportation director Shane Barnes said that six buses were affected this by the stand-off. It's not known if Pruett's arrest will cause issues Tuesday afternoon.

The incident began about 2:30 p.m. Monday after two detectives went to the home to interview the 52-year-old Pruett. He was part of an investigation of aggravated criminal sexual abuse allegation concerning a minor child as a victim.

Pruett allowed the detectives in to his home, but barricaded himself in a bedroom of the residence, the chief said.

Pruett then made threats towards the detectives indicating that he was armed with a firearm. One of the detectives, who is also a trained hostage negotiator, negotiated with Pruett in an attempt to get him to surrender.

Officers evacuated the surrounding homes.

Pruett's neighbor, Garrett Scott, said that the entire incident came as a complete shock.

"He was like another father figure to me," Scott said. "He was there whenever I needed him. We'd go on boat rides and fishing trips just like any other father would do."

The Adams County State Attorney's Office charged Pruett in August 2002  with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse with a victim younger than 13 and a single count of sexual exploitation of a child. Those charges were dropped in November of that same year. Details of that case are here.

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