Police: No one harmed during 5-hour standoff

Law enforcement officials used teargas Saturday to remove a 33-year-old man from a Morgan City home after he had allegedly fired a semiautomatic gun during a domestic dispute, according to Morgan City police. No one was injured during the 5-hour standoff, police said.

At 7:25 a.m. Saturday, Morgan City police officers responded to a domestic complaint in the 1300 block of Front Street in Morgan City.

A suspect, identified as Gary Cheramie, 33, of Front Street in Morgan City, was accused of firing a gun during a domestic dispute. Family members of Cheramie told officers that Chermaie had fired several shots inside the home. A woman and child inside the home escaped unharmed, police said.

Morgan City officers immediately secured the scene and made attempts to contact the suspect inside the home but were unsuccessful, police said.

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office special response team was summoned to assist. Police officers barricaded the area. The officers also contacted St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office for assistance.

With the help of deputies and St. Mary special response team, officers sprayed teargas to retrieve Cheramie out of the home, police said.

At 12:28 p.m. the same day, authorities removed Cheramie from the home unharmed and arrested him on a warrant charging him with illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities. No bail is set yet.

Morgan City police thanked the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office, Franklin Police Department, Berwick Police Department, Morgan City Fire Department, Acadian Ambulance, Morgan City Police Reserve Unit and many others that offered assistance during the incident.