Standoff With Suspect in Newburgh Ends in Chaotic Takedown

A Newburgh, N.Y. man who barricaded himself in a house after officers went to arrest him on an attempted murder charge surrendered after 10 hours Wednesday in a chaotic police takedown.

Newburgh police say 26-year-old Gosford Lembhard Jr. is in custody and nobody was injured.

But pandemonium erupted as a crowd of onlookers stormed the house when police went in just before 4 p.m.

Lembhard's younger brother, Michael, was shot to death in a confrontation with city police in March, touching off sometimes violent protests and heightening tensions between some residents and police.

Officers went to the house to arrest Lembhard around 5:30 a.m. and he retreated to a back room with several relatives. He's accused of firing a gun at two men in September and officers had a warrant for his arrest Wednesday.

Those inside the house with Lembhard included a 10-year-old girl.

Michael Sussman, an attorney for the Lembhard family, said he didn't know if his client was armed but said he never threatened police.

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