Standoff in Marshall County leads to four arrests

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - Police said a standoff occurred Monday around 1 p.m. after they tried to serve a search warrant in Marshall County.

Authorities obtained a search warrant for a trailer located at 5663 18th Road, at the intersection of Filbert and 18th Road from a previous drug investigation. Police believed that the subjects that were at the home were armed.

Police said they used a flash bang near the front door of the trailer and contacted the people inside with a loud speaker.

After five minutes, the suspects, Mark Howard and Stephanie Johnson, came out of the home. A third person, Billie Minix, refused to come out, according to police.

Officers broke open two windows and the west wall of the trailer with a push bar after Minix would not come out.

Around 1:45 p.m., officers shot tear gas into the home to get Minix to surrender. Minix came out 30 minutes later without incident.

Billie Minix, 50, of Knox, was initially arrested for a parole violation warrant through Knox County but he may be facing additional charges in Marshall County.

Mark Howard, 29, of Marshall County, faces a felony charge of dealing meth.

Stephanie Johnson, 36, of Plymouth, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for probation violation in Marshall County.

Police said before the home was raided, a fourth person, Shawn Speirs, 40, of Argos, was stopped by a Marshall County Deputy on a traffic stop and arrested on a felony warrant for dealing meth. According to police, Speirs is an associate of Minix and Howard.

All four people were taken to the Marshall County Jail.