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A 34-year-old man named Zachary Higgins was arrested after barricading himself inside a residence in Dutchess County on Monday (April 7). The incident began when Higgins led a deputy on a pursuit that ended at a home on North Creek Road in the Town of Clinton. Higgins then fled into the house, where he potentially had access to firearms, according to the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office.
The pursuit started when a deputy attempted to stop Higgins for a traffic violation, but he fled, prompting a chase through the area. The situation escalated as multiple law enforcement units, including the Sheriff's Office Emergency Services Unit, UAS (drone) Unit, Crisis Negotiations Unit, and Detective Bureau, arrived at the scene to assist.
Authorities engaged in dialogue with Higgins from outside the residence, eventually convincing him to surrender peacefully. Higgins was charged with reckless driving, unlawful fleeing from a police officer, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. He also received multiple traffic tickets.
Additionally, it was discovered that Higgins had an active bench warrant out of the Town of Newburgh for felony drug charges. After being processed and issued an appearance ticket by the Sheriff's Office, Higgins was turned over to the Town of Newburgh Police Department for the outstanding warrant.
Route 9G was temporarily closed during the standoff, which ended without any injuries. The incident involved coordination between various agencies, including the Dutchess County Drug Task Force, New York State Police, and Dutchess County Office of Emergency Management.