The man suspected of firing multiple rounds into a neighbor’s residence and later shooting at law enforcement as part of a day-long standoff had planned the confrontation, law enforcement believes.
Logan County Sheriff Randy Dodds provided an update on the Holley Tolliver case Friday, Sept. 13, at a community event for the Indian Lake Development Corporation.
The sheriff updated the group on the Aug. 14 armed standoff, including details suggesting the suspect, Tolliver, 57, had planned a confrontation with law enforcement.
Tolliver allegedly fired into his neighbor’s residence to provoke a response from law enforcement, Dodds said. Additionally, the defendant prepared gas masks to defend against the use of smoke bombs designed to irritate him from the residence. Tolliver also constructed 4-6 foot foxholes with tunnels connecting them inside his home at 11331 Big Bear Path, Lakeview, the sheriff said.
Sheriff Dodds told the crowd he believed Tolliver intended to go down fighting and potentially die at the hands of law enforcement that day. Dodds went on to say that he almost wished Tolliver had died during the altercation, the sheriff admitted.
Sheriff Dodds pointed out the extreme danger Tolliver posed to law enforcement that day and also noted that Tolliver showed little regard for his own life. He also cited concerns over the expensive medical costs for Tolliver’s upcoming surgeries, which law enforcement may have to bear.
The approximately 11-hour standoff ended after law enforcement returned fire on Tolliver, who had shot at officers multiple times from his residence.
Special Response Teams, including those from Bellefontaine and Marysville, were called in after initial attempts to engage Tolliver were met with gunfire. Neighbors had been evacuated from the area for safety, and attempts to use gas inside the home were ineffective due to Tolliver’s gas masks.
Tolliver was taken into custody around 9:19 p.m. after being wounded by law enforcement. He was transported to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton for treatment of his injuries.
Dodds said Friday that Tolliver was “Trumped” by the bullet because it grazed his nose, comparing the manner in which Tolliver was struck to the assassination attempt against Donald Trump and the way the bullet grazed his ear.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been investigating. Tolliver was indicted Sept. 10 and faces more than three dozen charges, including 16 counts of attempted aggravated murder and felonious assault for firing at law enforcement during the standoff. He has also been indicted for discharging firearms into a habitation, burglary, and theft of firearms.
His bond in that case was recently set at $1 million.
