ASH FLAT, Ark. — A man was arrested following a two-and-a-half-hour standoff atop a 100-foot communication tower at the Ozarka Tech Center on Sunday, October 6. Ash Flat Mayor Larry Fowler reported that the standoff began around 10:30 a.m. when Officer Tressie Powell, along with Sharp County deputies and Arkansas State Police, responded to reports of a man climbing the tower. An Arkansas State Police negotiator successfully convinced the man to come down by 1 p.m., and he was arrested without incident. The suspect’s motives remain unknown, and no injuries were reported. Sheriff Shane Russell stated that suicide was not a factor during the incident.
No one was hurt, and the man is currently in the Sharp County Detention Center.