By Chadron Police Department
On May 12 at approximately 6 p.m., officers from the Chadron Police Department responded to Memorial Park at 10th and Shelton for a reported active shooter in the area. Officers quickly arrived and learned the suspect was armed with a rifle and walking southbound across the east end of the Chadron State College Campus.
The armed party was not actively shooting at any citizens or law enforcement during this time.
Officers pursued the armed subject from the area into another area of land west of that location. As officers pursued, the armed party shot several rounds at various times and locations into the air and into the ground.
Requests were made for additional officers and resources in an effort to contact the armed subject. Several additional agencies in our region sent officers, drones, thermal cameras, canine units, and an armored vehicle to the area to assist.
A code red alert was sent to local residents encouraging them to shelter in place and lock their doors as the armed subject was pursued by law enforcement on foot.
After approximately five hours of trying to contact the armed subject and get him to drop the weapon, he was met by a team of officers including a canine and he surrendered without incident. No law enforcement officers from any agency fired their weapons at any time and no one was injured throughout the incident, including the suspect.
As a result, 36-year-old Warfield High Hawk was arrested for Theft of a firearm, a Class IIA felony, Possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, a Class ID felony, Unlawful possession of a firearm at a school, a Class IV felony, Terroristic threat, a Class IIIA felony, and Obstructing a peace officer, a Class I misdemeanor.
High Hawks bond was set at 10% of $500,000.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be requested.
The Chadron Police Department received assistance with this incident from the following law enforcement agencies: Dawes County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol, Alliance Police Department, Scottsbluff County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska Game & Parks, South Dakota DCI, WING Drug Task Force, and Chadron State College Security.