FAYETTEVILLE — Police arrested a man on Friday in connection with attempted capital murder of a police officer after they said he fired at officers during a seven-hour standoff at an apartment at the Greens at Lakeside Village off North Gregg Street.
Austin Wenger and his wife, Megan Jones Wenger, were taken into custody after police fired several rounds of gas into the apartment and blew open the front door around 4 p.m., according to Sgt. Anthony Murphy, police spokesman. No one was injured during the standoff.
Austin Wenger, 26, of Fayetteville, was arrested in connection with the attempted capital murder of a police officer, according to a preliminary report from the Fayetteville Police Department. He was also arrested in connection with three counts of kidnapping; possession of a firearm by certain persons and criminal mischief.
Megan Wenger, 23, was arrested in connection with hindering apprehension and criminal mischief.
A police report said Megan Wenger acted with Austin Wenger in his attempt to not be captured by police and never assisted the children in getting out of the apartment. Police said Austin Wenger posted a Facebook Live video during the standoff in which he bragged about getting into a shootout with police and referred to the couple as being “Bonnie and Clyde.” Megan Wenger could be seen in the video smiling and waving to the camera, the police report said.
According to the report, police were attempting to locate Austin Wenger about a report of a stolen vehicle and a report of shots being fired during a vehicle chase in the area of the Bedford Loop Apartments on Thursday. The report said Wenger fired at least five shots at a silver Dodge Avenger, with at least two hitting the car. No one was injured in the shooting.
Murphy said three children were in the apartment when police arrived about 9 a.m. The children left the apartment through a window in the afternoon before police used the gas and explosive devices.
Police received a tip that Wenger was at his sister’s residence at 2691 N. Club Drive and investigators found the vehicle thought to have been used in the shooting at the apartment complex, according to the report.
Wenger’s sister, who was not identified, left the apartment around 7:53 a.m. on Friday, the report said. She seemed to be scouting the area around the vehicle and looking for signs of surveillance, according to the report. She was stopped and confirmed Wenger was in the apartment and also that three children and another woman were in the apartment.
During the standoff, the report states, Wenger refused to allow the children to leave. The report says Wenger fired at least two shots from inside the apartment. One round nearly hit a uniformed officer outside the apartment according to the report.
The children were kept in a bedroom of the apartment, the report states, and escaped on their own through a window.