Armed Standoff at Hwy. 92 Business Ends With Woodstock Arrest
A multi-agency SWAT response lasting more than 12 hours concluded peacefully Thursday afternoon after a wanted man barricaded himself inside his own business.
Woodstock Wire Staff
A man wanted on a felony firearms warrant barricaded himself inside a business near the intersection of Highway 92 and Parkway 575 in Woodstock on Thursday, triggering a standoff that drew a multi-agency SWAT response before ending peacefully just after 2 p.m.
The incident began in the early morning hours when Holly Springs Police Department contacted the Woodstock Police Department around 1 a.m. to report that Michael Warren Johnson had been involved in a domestic dispute in their jurisdiction. Johnson was wanted on a felony possession of a firearm warrant issued by the Cherokee County Magistrate Court, and Holly Springs police said he was believed to be at his place of business at 9504 Hwy. 92 in Woodstock.
Woodstock officers made their way to the location and observed movement inside the lobby of the building. When they made contact with a male subject matching Johnson's description, he refused to come out. The situation escalated shortly after 9:15 a.m., when WPD received a call reporting that Johnson was threatening to harm himself and law enforcement officers.
With negotiations ongoing, Woodstock Police obtained a search warrant for the business just before 1 p.m. At 1:52 p.m., the Cherokee County Multi-Agency SWAT Team made entry and took Johnson into custody without further incident.
The response drew agencies from across the county, including the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, Georgia State Patrol, the Cherokee Marshals Office, Holly Springs Police Department, Woodstock Fire Department, and Cherokee Fire and Emergency Services — a show of regional coordination that has become standard practice for high-risk barricade situations in the area.
The Woodstock Police Department confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the community.
