Man Arrested During Standoff Had Several Weapons Including Assault Rifle

The man who was arrested after a 4-hour standoff with Mentor Police Sunday night had a sizable arsenal of guns in his home, including a semiautomatic rifle and a 100-round drum magazine, Mentor Police Lt. Tom Powers said.

Ronald Ewanek, 54, of Mentor, will be arraigned this morning in Mentor Municipal Court.

He faces charges of inducing panic, obstructing official business, unlawful possession of a dangerous ordnance, use of a weapon while intoxicated and discharging a firearm in the city.

After police searched Ewanek's house they found a Feg 7.62 assault rifle, Feg 9-millimeter handgun, Ruger .22 long rifle, Ruger Mini-14 semiautomatic rifle and Foremost 3-06 rifle, Powers said.

Ewanek also owned ammunition for all of these weapons, including a 100-round drum magazine for the assault rifle, Powers said.

Police were called at about 9 p.m. Sunday to Ewanek's house on Eastmoor Road after neighbors reported hearing three gunshots, Powers said.

Officers knew the home belonged to Ewanek, who had been charged with but not convicted of domestic violence in 2011.

Police also knew Ewanek had firearms.

Mentor Police tried to make contact with the people inside but were not successful. Early on in the standoff, three people -- two women and a man -- were allowed to leave the house.

None of them were injured by the shots that were fired.

"We don't believe (Ewanek) was shooting at anybody," Powers said.

Police are still not certain where the shots were fired or what the shooter, who is thought to be Ewanek, was aiming at. Thus far, police have only found one shell casing and it was in the driveway, Powers said.

Ewanek remained in the house by himself during the duration of the standoff. He refused to come out so Mentor SWAT and the department's hostage negotiators came to the scene.

For several hours, Ewanek refused to take phone calls or negotiate via the loud speaker, police said.

After more than four hours of waiting and several attempts to talk to Ewanek failed, the SWAT team used tear gas to flush Ewanek from the house, Powers  said.

Ewanek then surrendered and was arrested.