Akron Man Surrenders After Hours-Long SWAT Standoff, Linked to 2016 Incident

AKRON, Ohio — A 37-year-old man surrendered to Akron police Monday after barricading himself inside a Highland Square apartment for more than four hours, following an alleged brutal assault on a woman. The incident forced evacuations, school closures, and a tense SWAT standoff.

Thomas Blanton, who has a history of similar confrontations with law enforcement, is accused of attacking a woman he knows outside a Highland Square business on West Market Street around 2:40 a.m. Captain Michael Miller of the Akron Police Department said the victim sustained serious facial injuries and was hospitalized. “The suspect punched her multiple times in the face. We’re told she sustained multiple serious facial injuries,” Miller said.

After the assault, Blanton retreated to a former barber shop on the first floor of a building on Highland Avenue. Kendra Strickland, a resident living above the shop, described hearing police use a megaphone to demand Blanton’s surrender. “They came at 5 a.m. and told us to probably leave the building because there’s going to be tear gas to try to get the suspect out,” Strickland said.

Police deployed tear gas and breached the building’s front door using a ramming device mounted on a “community rescue vehicle.” Blanton attempted to flee through the back door but was apprehended after officers wrestled a gun from him. “It was a very, very volatile situation in that he came out with a firearm—very easily could be a different conversation we’re having,” Miller added.

Blanton was hospitalized for injuries sustained during the standoff and faces multiple charges, including felony strangulation, domestic violence, and felonious assault. The victim’s injuries, while serious, were not life-threatening.

This is not Blanton’s first encounter with Akron police. In 2015, he barricaded himself in a Seward Avenue apartment during a New Year’s Eve standoff. He surrendered peacefully nearly seven hours later and was later sentenced to five years in prison in 2016.

Residents like Strickland expressed relief that the situation ended without further violence. “They kept us safe, and so we thank them, but it’s still not a great way to start off the week,” she said.