Standoff in Youngstown ends without incident

YOUNGSTOWN — A two-hour standoff in the 2500 block of Oak Hill Avenue ended peacefully just before noon today when Kareem James, 27, of New Castle surrendered, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Dean Michael.

James fled from Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Feb. 12 before being sentenced by Judge Maureen A. Sweeney on a charge of failure to comply with a police order. A charge of receiving stolen property was dismissed in a plea agreement. The charges had been filed in December 2005.

Michael said James was hiding in a third-floor bedroom crawl space at his uncle’s residence when members of the marshals’ fugitive task force and FBI/Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force arrived around 10 a.m. to arrest him on a bench warrant.

James yelled that he had a gun, so the Crisis Response Team and more officers were called to the scene, Michael said. James requested that Deputy William Walker, who he knew from juvenile court, be brought to the scene. Walker arrived and James surrendered, Michael said.