DOVER, DE- A tense, 10-hour police standoff on Holmes Street left residents in the Stoney Creek neighborhood shaken and concerned for their safety after several hostages, including 6 children, were released from a home late Wednesday morning.
When police arrived, they say Moran came to the door and pointed a firearm at officers before retreating back into the house and securing the doors. This initiated a 10-hour standoff, drawing a significant police presence that persisted throughout the night.
By 11 a.m., Moran had surrendered to police, leading to the safe release of multiple child hostages. While the situation concluded without serious injuries, residents expressed relief and concern about the incident's impact on their community's safety.
Many neighbors, like Christine Holmes, initially downplayed the heavy police presence.
“This does not completely surprise me — this neighborhood has been going downhill the past couple of years."
When Holmes awoke to find her neighborhood cordoned off with crime scene tape, she realized just how serious the incident had become.
“I woke up around 11 o'clock to some text messages asking if I was alright. I stepped outside and saw a whole bunch of police, fire trucks, ambulances, and paramedics.”
Neighbors like Nivia Brown say the neighborhood has never seen a police presence as large as the one from this morning, describing it as something straight out of a movie scene.
"To see all that gear roll out was unnerving—it's not something you expect to see unless you're watching a movie or a TV show."
“I was concerned about going to work and my kids going to school. They told us it was not safe to come outside and to stay in.”
The fact that 6 children were among the hostages added to Browns anxiety.
“We are a close neighborhood. Knowing that kids were involved made it even more challenging — not just for me but also for my children.”
Holmes, as well as other neighbors, expressed relief when the standoff ended without serious injuries.
“I saw them carrying one kid away, and it definitely made me feel good that the police were able to handle it in a timely manner and ensure everyone was safe — even the suspect."
According to the Dover Police Department, Michael Moran was transported to the Dover Police Department, where he was processed and arraigned.
Moran has been committed to SCI on $47,000 cash bail and faces an array of charges related to the incident.
