Standoff With Armed Gunman Ends Peacefully

A three-and-a-half-hour standoff with a barricaded man with a gun ends peacefully after Special Operations Unit (SOU) used several de-escalation tactics.

Michael Thibodeau, 33, was taken into custody shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31. He is charged with aggravated domestic assault.

Police responded to reports of a man with a gun threatening a woman at townhome on Sitting Bull Xing at 12:30 p.m. The woman escaped and called police. She was not hurt.

Thibodeau refused to come out when officers arrive and then barricaded himself inside. The SOU was activated. Negotiators attempted for hours to get Thibodeau to surrender. SOU members breached the home and Thibodeau ran into the garage where officers fired a less-than lethal rubber round striking him in the leg. Thibodeau ran upstairs still refusing to surrender. SOU members deployed gas canisters and shortly after Thibodeau gave up. No officers were injured.

Thibodeau moved to Murfreesboro from Pittsburg about a month ago for work.

Thibodeau is being held at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center.