Brookhaven Police seized 17 firearms from the Lynwood Park home of a suspect who allegedly barricaded himself in the house for several hours Feb. 12 before being forcefully taken into custody by a SWAT team.
George Frank Roach is facing felony charges including family violence and obstruction of law enforcement officers. Police said the family violence charge stems from an alleged domestic violence incident that occurred last weekend when shots were fired inside the house.
“The female victim came to us over the weekend and reported the incident. We began an investigation that included gunshots being fired during a domestic [incident],” Major Brandon Gurley said.
“She was able to eventually get out [of the house] and made her way to us. We began an investigation that led to the warrants … and the reason for SWAT,” he said. No children were involved in the incident, he said.
The weapons were displayed Feb. 13 on the driveway of the house at 3315 Osborne Road located in historic Lynwood Park. They included 12 rifles, two shotguns and three handguns as well as parts to build additional firearms, according to Major Brandon Gurley. Thousands of rounds of ammunition were seized as well as suppressors, police said.
The garage door was also broken during the standoff.
Police said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is being brought into the investigation. The guns were found in various locations throughout the house, police said.
North Metro Atlanta SWAT attempted to serve an arrest and search warrants on Roach at the Osborne Park residence the morning of Feb. 12. Roach did not cooperate and instead barricaded himself in a hidden room for several hours, police said.
Tear gas was eventually used, and SWAT officers arrested him in the late afternoon after a brief struggle. Residents living along Osborne Road, the main access into historic Lynwood Park, were forced to stay in their homes during the standoff, according to police.
Roach was transported Feb. 12 to a nearby hospital for a preexisting condition and spent the night there, Gurley said. He was expected to be transported to the DeKalb County Jail on Feb. 13, Gurley said.
Gurley said Roach was not injured during the struggle with law enforcement. “He did fight with our SWAT operators, but he was not injured,” he said.
Roach’s charges from the family violence case are aggravated assault, false imprisonment, family violence battery and criminal damage to property. He is also charged with four counts of felony obstruction, possession of a firearm during the commission of felony and possession of cocaine.