'He wasn't going back to jail'

NORWALK — A standoff at 9 Hickory St. in Norwalk on Thursday ended with the arrest of 42-year-old Scott Sholes. A SWAT team worked for more than three hours to serve a warrant on a probation violation for Sholes. After entering the house, police worked their way to the attic before locating Sholes. A scuffle could be heard outside of the house when Sholes was apprehended. When he was brought out of the house he was given water to drink and clean pepper spray out of his eyes. According Norwalk Police Department Capt. Jim Fulton, executive officer, NPD attempted to apprehend Sholes at about 8:30 a.m. when Sholes threatened officers with a hatchet. "They were here to pick him up for the court and he refused to cooperate," Fulton said. "He brandished a hatchet and said he wasn't going back to jail, that they weren't taking him today and made some other threats." Sholes was also accused of threatening nearby residents recently. "Apparently, in the midst of all of this, we found out he threatened people in this neighborhood last night (Wednesday)." Fulton said the department will release more information regarding Sholes' alleged threats. A neighbor described Sholes as a really good person who has been going through tough times recently. She says she has known Sholes for more than 25 years and she is grateful he wasn't harmed or worse during the incident. "I'm just thankful that the police didn't kill Scott," the neighbor said through tears. "I think they did a good job of taking their time and preventing a tragedy." Fulton said the officers did exactly as they were trained to do and that they were willing to take as much time as necessary to secure a good ending. "When you have something like this you take as much time as you need," Fulton said. "You do it the way you were trained. You're going to go slow and the resolution you want out of all of this is for none of your guys or anybody else to get hurt and the bad guy goes to jail. Certainly, you do not want anything other than that, and he has his day in court." According to court records, Sholes has a lengthy criminal record and currently has charges pending for aggravated burglary, assault and menacing by stalking. Sholes will be held without bail until he goes before a judge.