Powhatan Point man arrested after alleged domestic incident and standoff | News, Sports, Jobs

RAY ALLEN FOX JR.

A Powhatan Point man is facing numerous charges following a domestic violence incident that led to a confrontation with police on Wednesday.

Belmont County Sheriff David Lucas spoke about the arrest during a press conference Thursday morning.

On Wednesday at 1:58 p.m., the Belmont County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting a domestic incident in Powhatan Point between a woman and 46-year-old Ray Allen Fox Jr., who was taken into custody.

Sheriff's deputies arrived at the Industrial Street address to assist the Powhatan Police Department, which is currently investigating. Also on scene were the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a Powhatan Emergency Response Squad, and representatives from the Belmont County Animal Shelter.

When officers arrived, they attempted unsuccessfully to make contact with Fox and the woman in the house.

“They tried again and again,” Lucas said. “But they knew the party was inside and they got no response.”

At that point, the sheriff said, the Belmont County Special Forces Unit was asked to respond.

When officers arrived on scene, they negotiated with Fox and the woman while they were still inside the home. The woman left the home at 4:40 p.m. while Fox was still inside, Lucas said.

“We don't want to be the aggressor,” said Lucas. “We're in a difficult situation.”

After several hours of negotiations with Fox, law enforcement decided to break down the front door of the residence. At 5:27 p.m., K-9 Xyrem was ready to enter.

Officers gave Fox verbal instructions and informed him that K-9 Xyrem would be entering the trailer. At 5:30 p.m. – just three minutes later – Fox exited the trailer. After Fox left the home, police took him into custody without further incident.

“Xyrem was not used,” Lucas said. “But it shows that Xyrem is a deputy himself and is there for what he was trained to do. And thanks to the tracking dog, the incident came to him without anyone getting hurt.”

Fox was arrested and charged with two counts of failure to appear in court in connection with previous charges of domestic violence and obstruction of office. He was also charged with kidnapping, domestic violence, strangulation and violation of a protective order.

Fox was being held without bail in the Belmont County Jail on Thursday. The woman involved was not arrested.

Lucas said the Special Operations Division is very important because it includes officers from the Belmont County Sheriff's Office and various local police departments who are trained each month to respond to high-risk incidents.

“That's what we want,” Lucas said. “We want to find a solution, a safe solution, without incident, and this is just a good example of everyone taking their time and negotiating to a safe conclusion.”