At a press event Wednesday, Dayton Police Sgt. Gordon Cairns said that at just before 9 p.m. police were called to the first block of South Trenton Street on a report of a shooting.
On investigation, police found that a man had come to the house over a $20 debt, broke windows and fired gunshots into the house, hitting one of the occupants.
The victim told police Belton stuck his head and body through the broken window and threatened to kill him, according to court records.
Belton stepped back and then the victim reportedly heard gunshots being fired through the front door.
“(The man) said he felt a ‘burning’ sensation in his back and believed he was shot by Belton,” an affidavit read.
Cairns said that luckily the gunshot wound was a minor injury.
Police received a description, identity and address of the suspect, who lived a few doors down in an apartment, Cairns said. Officers and SWAT went to the apartment and attempted to call the man out using loudspeakers and sirens to get his attention, but he didn’t respond, the sergeant said.
Family members that were in the apartment came out and confirmed that the suspect was inside, Cairns said.
Finally, a few hours later law enforcement received an arrest warrant, Cairns said, and escalated to breaking the windows of the apartment and firing pepper balls inside.
After that, the suspect came outside and surrendered, the sergeant said. There were no injuries in the standoff.
“This is a person who for whatever reason decided to use violence to settle this debt, to settle this problem, and ultimately it led to, again, a lot of police resources, it led to potentially a person dying, who could have died from senseless violence,” Cairns said.
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