West Plains, Mo. – A Peace Valley man was arrested Monday following a violent stand-off with police. The incident began at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, March 7, 2022 when deputies with the Howell County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for a domestic dispute.
The male party of the incident, William D. Collins of Peace Valley, had left the scene and began driving erratically in a nearby field. After Collins crashed the vehicle into a tree, deputies who went to check on him noticed he was armed with a rifle, which Collins then fired. Collins then went towards the residence where the domestic began but Howell County Deputies were able to remove a woman and child and get them to safety.
After entering the building, Collins refused to comply with law enforcement and exit the building peacefully. Additional law enforcement then arrived, including the Howell County SWAT team and negotiators from the West Plains Police. Collins fired the rifle several times before attempting to flee the residence on foot and, subsequently, captured.
William D. Collins was arrested and was placed on hold while formal charges of Domestic Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Armed Criminal Action are placed. A statement of probable cause was forwarded to the Howell County Prosecutors Office.
