Court Documents Detail Clearfield Man’s Standoff with Police

By Julie Rae Rickard

CLEARFIELD – A 43-year-old Clearfield man is in custody after a nine-hour standoff in Lawrence Township Saturday night.

Police say Melvin L. Smith was armed when he barricaded himself into a home on Flegal Road at about 2:53 p.m.

Residents were advised to avoid the area during this time.

According to the affidavit of probable cause released Monday, police were called to the area by someone who said Smith was “smashing up the house” and was concerned about someone else in the home.

When police arrived, they knocked on a side door. Inside they could see a woman who walked toward a male instead of answering the door.

The male, later identified as Smith, then began yelling. After walking to the front porch, the officer could see Smith raising his arms and screaming at the woman.

The officer then knocked on the front door causing Smith to yell at him, saying they did not call the police and they needed to leave.

The officer demanded he open the door or police would enter. Smith allegedly continued to yell and refused to open the door.

After the woman exited the residence, she told police Smith grabbed a gun when the officers arrived. When she tried to reenter the home, the officer followed and removed her from the residence.

Smith then reportedly exited the home holding a long gun. The officer drew his weapon and ordered him to drop the firearm but he refused before going back into the home.

The woman was secured in a police vehicle and later escorted from the scene.

Smith exited the residence a second time, without the gun, but refused to walk toward the officers. Instead, he went back inside.

The woman stated Smith had struck her hand yesterday and “had been agitated, which she advised that it is possibly due to withdrawals” because he has been known to use Suboxone or methamphetamine.

She also advised that he had mental health issues and had stopped taking his medication about a year ago, because he claimed it didn’t work.

She stated that they were the only ones in the home and he had several long guns in his bedroom.

More police officers and the state police SERT unit responded to the scene as they tried to make contact with him.

He “exited the residence several times, talking to police on those occasions, but refusing to leave the residence, ultimately re-entering the residence where the firearms are located,” according to the report.

Eventually he was taken into custody by the SERT personnel, it was reported by Lawrence Township police.

Smith is charged with misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and disorderly conduct. He remains in the county jail in lieu of $40,000 bail with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 18.

Lawrence Township police were assisted by Clearfield Borough police, Curwensville Borough police, state police, the St. Marys police K9 unit and Punxsutawney Borough police K9 unit, as well as Lawrence Township Fire Department, Clearfield County EMA and the Red Cross.