Strasburg standoff suspect charged with kidnapping and other felonies
NEW PHILADELPHIA – The Strasburg man who engaged Sheriff’s deputies in a 6-hour standoff and allegedly pointed a gun at his 3-year-old daughter’s head has been formally charged with four felonies.
James A. Copeland, 45, faces two counts of kidnapping with firearms specifications, violating a protection order and menacing by stalking. He is in the Tuscarawas County Jail awaiting a Monday preliminary hearing with bail set at $1 million.
Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell says Copeland could have avoided arrest if he had cooperated with deputies when they went to his Haswell Circle Apartment at 3:30 p.m. on Monday to serve a protection order and return the 3-year-old to her mother.
Instead, Campbell says Copeland slammed the door on the deputies and made threats to harm himself and his daughter. Campbell says during a video call Copeland allegedly held a firearm to the girl’s head.
Eventually, Copeland came out of the building unarmed with his daughter around 9:30 p.m., according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office. He was taken into custody, and the child was give to a close family friend for the time being.