Shortly after 1 p.m. today members of the Indiana State Police Emergency Response Section assisted the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, members of the Marshall County Drug Task Force and the Plymouth Police Department in serving a search warrant in rural southern Marshall County. The warrant service resulted in a stand-off between police and a Knox man.

Police went to 5663 18th Rd. in Argos to serve the search warrant obtained from a previous investigation. Police suspected the subjects staying at the mobile home were possibly armed.

Emergency Response Officers arrived at the house and detonated a flash bang (loud percussion device) near the front door and contacted the occupants with a loud speaker. Within five minutes a male subject, identified as Mark Howard, and a female subject, identified as Stephanie Johnson, exited the trailer at the commands of the officers. However, a third subject, Billie J. Minix, 50, of Knox, refused to exit.

After attempting to make contact with Minix for several minutes and getting no response, the ERS officers broke open two windows and the west wall of the trailer with a Humvee and a push bar. At approximately 1:45 p.m. they shot tear gas into the home in an effort to get Minix to surrender. Minix gave up without incident 30 minutes later when he exited the west end of the house.

Minix was initially arrested for a parole violation warrant through Knox County. However, Minix may be facing additional charges in Marshall County.

Also arrested were Mark B. Howard, 29, of 5663 18th Rd., Argos, who is currently faces a felony charge of dealing methamphetamine.

Stephanie Johnson, 36, of Plymouth, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for probation violation in Marshall County.

Prior to the house being raided, a fourth subject, Shawn Speirs, 40, of Argos, was stopped by a Marshall County Deputy on a traffic stop and arrested on a felony warrant for dealing meth. Speirs is an associate of Minix and Howard. All four subjects were taken to the Marshall County Jail