Clay County Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Lambert has resigned. That's today's new news.
Following a 14-hour standoff at his home a couple of months ago he's charged with threatening to kill his girlfriend so she would have sex with him - telling her she deserved to die, restraining her, forcing her to touch him, and choking her - leaving red marks around her neck. She says that she made it outside, and that Lambert told her to call her ex-husband, took her phone, her car keys and drove her car toward her, missing her by 3 to 4 feet. Somehow she managed to call her mom - who called for help.
The sheer scope of this standoff and the charges is frightening. 60 or so law enforcement officers - including two SWAT teams - came & set up a perimeter around his house after he refused to come out. Indianapolis police officers, State Conservation Officers and deputies from Putnam, Vigo and Clay counties came. Roadways were blocked. Three or four bus routes were rerouted. Officers set up powerful lights to flood the house with light.
Are you feelin' this?
When he finally came out and fired a "long gun," went back inside, and came out again firing a handgun. (What would have happened at that moment if he was not a deputy?)
My heart goes out to Lambert's girlfriend. Dealing with him at first alone, fearing reporting him, fearing when she did report him, seeing his defiance even to law enforcement, the thoughts as she hears he's firing a gun, and wondering will tonight be the night she dies? Will he get out? Should she leave? Does he have buddies that will hold this against her?
Lambert is charged with felony sexual battery, felony criminal confinement, felony intimidation, domestic battery, and criminal recklessness. His jury trial is scheduled for January.
My THANKS go out to all the law enforcement that responded.
My prayer is for her safety and for his healing (in a different line of work).
