The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office is releasing information about a case from Thursday of last week.

Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says the drama began with a traffic stop last Thursday night when narcotics agents stopped a Texas driver on a routine traffic violation.

Agents say that person was arrested for outstanding warrants and having a large amount of marijuana on him. The owner of the car wanted the passenger to drive the car, but because that person had a suspended license, 37-year-old Armel Grice was called to the scene.

Grice then figures he is being check on by deputies, he panics and tries to leave in another car at that scene.

He refuses to stop, drives in an unsafe manner, throws a bag out the windown and is waiving what deputies believes is a gun out of the driver's side window.

Once home, Grice barricades himself inside, and a two hour standoff beings. After the SWAT negotiator talked to Grice, the Sheriff says the man used "his elderly grandmother, a minor child and another female as leverage against the SWAT team entering the home." Grice gave up after two hours and surrendered peacefully.

He is facing the following charges:

  • Aggravated flight from an officer
  • Resisting an officer
  • 10 counts of failure to signal during lane changes
  • Red light violation
  • 7 counts of running a stop sign
  • 11 counts of driving left of center
  • Obstruction of justice
  • Possession of schedule I drugs

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