Royal, Iowa — A nearly four-hour standoff took place in Royal on Friday.
According to Clay County Sheriff officials, it only ended after pepper gas was introduced into the home in which 46-year-old Timothy Steinbeck was barricaded.
Deputies tell us that at about 4:00 p.m., they were informed of a federal warrant for Steinbeck for a narcotics violation. They say deputies located Steinbeck at his home in Royal (about 12 miles southeast of Hartley), but he fled into the home before they could make contact with him.
They tell us that Steinbeck barricaded himself in the home, so the Iowa State Patrol Tactical Team was called to assist in removing Steinbeck from the home.
Officers tried several times to make contact with Steinbeck, but the efforts were unsuccesful, so a pepper gas called OC gas was introduced into the home and just before 10:45 p.m., they tell us Steinbeck exited the home and was taken into custody.
Deputies say Steinbeck was transported to the Spencer Hospital where he was evaluated and released to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Steinbeck was held in the Clay County Jail until Tuesday, when he was then released into the custody of the US Marshalls Service.
The Clay County Sheriffs Office says the Iowa State Patrol Tactical Team, the Iowa Division of Narcotics, the Royal Fire Department and Rescue Squad, and the Spencer Hospital Ambulance assisted with the response to the incident.
