WV Repo- Shots Fired, Bomb Threats & A Barn Roof Standoff

LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. (WOWK) – A man is facing multiple charges in Logan County, including one count of terroristic threats, after allegedly threatening officers while standing on top of a barn.

According to West Virginia State Police, troopers were called to the Milkhouse Hollow Road area of Wilkinson Tuesday to help the Logan County Sheriff’s Office with an arrest for a shots fired incident.

A criminal complaint from Logan County Magistrate Court says a company’s employees were in Wilkinson to repossess a vehicle when a man and woman came outside of the home. According to the complaint, the man allegedly “brandished an AR-15 style long gun weapon” and fired multiple rounds into the area before he and the woman left the scene in a vehicle toward Milkhouse Hollow Road.

Troopers say deputies were trying to arrest the suspect, identified as Rex Hale, 40, of Pecks Mill, when he ran from a house into a nearby barn and “refused to cooperate” with authorities.

According to the complaint, Hale allegedly climbed to the barn’s roof wearing body armor and started telling the officers “that he had the property rigged with pipebombs, dynamite and other explosives.” The complaint further says Hale allegedly threatened to detonate the supposed explosives if authorities didn’t leave. The complaint alleges he then started “giving a verbal countdown” before climbing down to the barn’s loft.

Troopers say the WVSP Special Response Team was called to help with the arrest and authorities were able to arrest Hale without further incident. The WVSP says that upon his arrest, authorities found that he allegedly had body armor, blasting caps, an AR-15 and a semi-automatic pistol in his possession.

Another criminal complaint says the woman, identified as Breonna Dillon, 29, of Logan, was arrested at the scene for allegedly refusing to leave the scene while Hale was on the barn.

According to the WVSP, during the investigation, four children were found left alone inside the home near the barn. Troopers say the home allegedly had no electricity or water, and two of the children were in soiled diapers.

The WVSP says Hale has been charged with “terroristic threats, four counts of child neglect containing risk or injury, wearing body armor during commission of a felony, possession of explosive device, five counts of wanton endangerment, prohibited person with firearm, and conspiracy to commit a felony.”

Troopers say Dillion was charged with three counts of “obstructing, four counts of child neglect creating risk or injury, and conspiracy to commit a felony.”