Nicoma Park police and Oklahoma County sheriff's deputies responding to a domestic call late last night ended up in a 6-hour standoff with a man holding a woman hostage at gunpoint.
According to reports, police responded to a Nicoma Park home at about 11:00 p.m. last night. When they arrived at the home, officers say they spotted a man, identified as 34-year-old Michael Allen Briggs, holding an AR-15 to a woman's head. Police immediately contacted the Oklahoma County tactical team and hostage negotiators.
When negotiators arrived, Briggs reportedly refused to speak with them. However, they were able to speak with the woman, who told them Briggs was going to kill her. At one point the man fired two shots into the floor near where she was sitting.
After about six hours, the woman was able to leave the home, saying Briggs took some of her muscle relaxers and was having difficulty staying awake. Approximately 30 minutes after letting the woman leave the home, Briggs came outside and surrendered to officers.
He was arrested on multiple criminal complaints, including domestic violence, kidnapping, pointing a firearm, reckless conduct with a firearm, possession of a firearm under the influence and obstruction.
Each of these charges has serious consequences of conviction; for example, kidnapping, the most serious charge, is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison upon conviction.
The penalty for domestic violence can vary depending on the severity of the offense. Assault and battery in a domestic situation is typically punishable by a maximum of one year in county jail on the first offense and up to four years in prison on a second or subsequent offense. However, the use of a dangerous weapon increases the penalty to a maximum of 10 years in prison. Domestic assault and battery with a deadly weapon is punishable by a maximum of life in prison. Domestic abuse by strangulation is punishable by one to three years on a first offense and three to 10 years on a second or subsequent offense.
Domestic assault against a pregnant woman is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of one year in jail on a first offense and up to 10 years on a second or subsequent offense. Domestic assault and battery of a pregnant woman resulting in miscarriage is punishable by a minimum of 20 years.
With all of the variables in place for the prosecution and penalization of domestic assault and battery, it is imperative that anyone charged with one of these crimes find swift and competent legal defense representation.
