Marion man charged with domestic abuse after standoff with police

MARION — A Marion man was arrested after a four-hour standoff with police last weekend on charges that he threatened police with a firearm when they came to his apartment to investigate a domestic dispute.

Nickolas Michael Childress, 22, is charged with interference with official acts and two counts of assault on persons in certain occupations, all felonies; and two counts of first-degree harassment and domestic abuse assault.

A judge ordered a $20,000 cash only bail for Childress and a no contact order to protect the woman on Saturday. He was formally charged Monday during an initial appearance.

Officers responded to multiple 911 calls about 8:31 a.m. on Saturday reporting that a man was making threats against a woman at an apartment in the 1400 block of 44th Street in Marion, according to a search warrant.

Officers set up a perimeter around the apartment building but when officers knocked on the door and announced themselves as law enforcement, they heard the sound of a shotgun rack and a man said “Keep knocking and see what happens.”

The 911 callers reported Childress had been threatening to kill a woman. One neighbor recorded Childress saying her “death will be quick” and her “body will be nothing but mulch,” according to the warrant request.

When police knocked on the door to Childress’ apartment, they heard the sound of a shotgun rack and a voice said, “keep knocking and see what happens.” Childress did not come to the door when police asked, and police later confirmed he had been holding a loaded shotgun while they were at the door, according to a criminal complaint.

The woman told police she had slapped him and he became fixated on the slap, hitting her back and threatening to kill her if she ever hit him again, the complaint states.

Other people living in the building were individually contacted by police and asked to voluntarily evacuate while the Marion Police Department Special Response Team worked to de-escalate the situation, according to a news release from the police department.

Police attempted to contact Childress and the woman through various means, but as of the time the search warrant request was filed — about 12:30 p.m. — they had received no response. Police learned that the woman had texted her mother indicating she was in the apartment, according to the warrant request.

The warrant was granted and police were able to get the woman safely out of the apartment and take Childress into custody by 1 p.m. Police searched the apartment and found multiple firearms and several containers of ammunition.

If convicted, Childress faces up to 15 years on the felonies.

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