Man indicted for child endangering

The man police said used children as human shields during a standoff in Dayton earlier this month has been indicted on 11 charges.

Todd Anthony King, 57, of Dayton was indicted on five counts of felonious assault, two counts of child endangering and several other charges.

King was arrested following the standoff, which lasted nearly 11 hours at a home on Elsmere Avenue last week. Two police officers exchanged gunfire with King during the standoff, police said.

Officers first responded to the home in the 1900 block of Elsmere Avenue about 10 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a call of a domestic disturbance, Dayton police Maj. Joe Wiesman said.

“As (officers) approached the house, the suspect in this case fired rounds at the officers,” Wiesman said. “The officers returned fire. Luckily nobody was hit.”

The exchange of gunfire prompted police to request SWAT from both Dayton police and the Montgomery County Sheriff ’s Office.

King was armed with a rifle and handgun and police believe he might have had a sniper rifle in the house as well, according to Wiesman.

A 2-year-old and another child who is 8 months old were in the house, police said. King would hold or place the children in front of him, using them as human shields during the standoff, according to police.

Police convinced King to come out of the house just before 9 a.m. Wednesday. He was taken into custody. The two children appeared unharmed physically. They were taken to a hospital for evaluation as a precaution, police said.