Nearly 6-Hour Long Standoff Ends in Early Morning Hours of Tuesday, November 24th in Locke – Suspect Shoots Himself in Shoulder

Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck said in a release deputies responded to a residence on Pierce Road in the Town of Locke around 9:30pm for a welfare check. Sheriff Schenck added it was also reported that a person at the residence was in potential danger.

When deputies arrived at the residence, they found 62 year old Michael Yaw of Locke, was at the residence and in violation of an order of protection against him. When deputies attempted to make contact with Yaw, Sheriff Schenck says Yaw met them with a long gun and then proceeded to barricade himself inside the residence.

As a result, the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office Negotiations Unit and Tactical Response Unit were activated to respond to the residence. Law enforcement also learned a third party was inside the residence and unable to leave. Schenck says as negotiations continued, the New York State Police Special Operation Response Team (SORT) and negotiations unit were requested to the scene for mutual aid. The Cayuga County Criminal Investigations Division additionally responded and obtained a warrant for Yaw’s arrest for violating the order of protection.

Sheriff Schenck says after hours-long negotiations with Yaw, the standoff ended when Yaw shot himself in the shoulder; Yaw then surrendered to authorities around 3:20am. He was taken into custody and transported to Upstate University Hospital for treatment of his non-life-threatening injury. He remains under custody of the Sheriff’s Office and is currently pending arrest processing at the time of this release following his medical treatment.

Additionally on scene of the standoff was the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, Four Town Ambulance, Groton Ambulance, Southern Cayuga Ambulance, Cayuga County Office of Emergency Services, Cayuga County 9-1-1 and the Locke Fire Department.

Sheriff Schenck says the investigation is ongoing. Anyone who has any information regarding the incident is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (315)252-1222 or tips left online at CayugaCounty.us.