On February 1st, WCSO deputies responded to a McMillion Lane address to execute a civil process ex parte order on 28-year-old Rykem Gabrielle McKenzie. Upon arrival, contact was made with McKenzie who immediately displayed signs of agitation by becoming increasingly irate and very vocal while yelling at deputies from inside the residence.
Several attempts were made by WCSO deputies to explain the nature of their presence, but Mckenzie refused to comply stating he was not going to open the door or come outside. McKenzie also alluded to the fact that he had a weapon and warned deputies not to enter the home all while he was recording the incident via Facebook live from his cellular device.
During the incident it was discovered that two juveniles ages 3 and 5 were present inside the residence. Due to the nature of the incident, a WCSO Crisis Negotiator was dispatched along with the WCSO SWAT and Drone Teams.
After multiple failed attempts at negotiation and the fear of harm to the children or McKenzie, WCSO SWAT Team gained entry into the residence. The children were safely and swiftly removed from the home and McKenzie was discovered isolating himself in the attic. McKenzie was safely extracted from the attic and taken into custody.
The two juveniles were released to the mother at the scene during the incident.
McKenzie is being held in the Washington County Jail on the charges of resisting an officer and child neglect along with a probation violation for an earlier battery incident.
Sheriff Crews stated, “These situations are very serious, and I am very proud of our deputies for their professionalism in swiftly extracting the children and safely securing McKenzie without further incident.” “It is also our greatest advantage, during a very stressful incident, to be able to utilize this state-of-the-art technology to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
The footage below is actual drone footage of WCSO SWAT Team making entry into the home to protect the children that were barricaded inside of the home.
