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The incident began when police attempted to issue a warrant for 40-year-old Charles Nathan Harris for a warrant related to a weapons violation, the police explained on the evening of Jan. 5.
Court records show the weapons offense happened in Mount Joy Borough on Jan. 18, 2023, and he forfeited his bail on Dec. 29, 2023.
The police incident happened in the 300 block of Cherry Street, borough police explained, although it initially closed the 200 and 400 blocks as well.
Harris tried to flee the home but it appears that when he spotted the police and retreated. That's when "the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department deployed a K-9 and Harris fired shots in the direction of officers and at a Police dog. Neither the Officers nor the Police K-9 were injured," the police said.
Just before 3:30 p.m. The Office of the District Attorney of Lancaster County's Media Specialist Sean McBryan told Daily Voice "Lancaster County SERT was called out to Columbia for a barricaded gunman. The suspect did have an arrest warrant and is now in custody. The investigation is ongoing."
A perimeter was made by the police and SERT officers were able to convince Harris to surrender, police detailed in a release.
The police noted the following about his arrest:
"Harris was taken into custody and will be arraigned on a warrant for Persons not to Possess a Firearm, through the Lancaster County Sheriff's Department. Charges for today's incident are pending until the conclusion of the investigation."
Harris has a lengthy criminal record in Lancaster County dating back to 2002. Over the years he has pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy, theft, criminal mischief, driving under the influence, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and multiple felony counts of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver drugs, court records detail.
He has served years in prison and on probation. The firearms possession was a violation of probation and after he posted bail and failed to reappear, the warrant was issued, according to court documents.
The police issued their first statement about this incident just after 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 5, simply warning the public to "avoid the area until further notice."
School lockdowns at both Park Elementary and Our Lady of The Angels School were lifted just after 2 p.m., police detailed in a follow-up statement. In that second release, they specifically noted that "access for vehicular or pedestrian traffic is prohibited until further notice." That further notice came just after 2:30 p.m. when the street completely reopened.
The Columbia Borough Police and Lancaster County Sheriff's Department were assisted by the Lancaster County Special Emergency Response Team, Officers with the West Hempfield Police Department, and Lancaster County Wide Communications.
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