Armed barricaded subject taken into custody without Incident

A potentially deadly situation ended peacefully Wednesday evening after Parsons Police Officers successfully negotiated the surrender of an armed individual who had barricaded himself inside a local sober living facility.

On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at approximately 5:36 p.m., Parsons Police Officers responded to 2601 Kimball Avenue, the location of A.R.C. (Addiction Recovery with Christ), a sober living and recovery home, regarding a possible criminal trespassing complaint.

Upon arrival, officers were met by residents of the facility who directed them to a bedroom occupied by 59-year-old Laughn Seltmann of Parsons.

Officers learned that Seltmann had reportedly violated the facility's house rules and had been asked to leave the residence.

While officers attempted to resolve the situation, Seltmann reportedly made statements indicating that he would not leave. Moments later, Seltmann emerged with a weapon, pointed it toward his own head, and barricaded himself inside the bedroom. He later stated that he would "only leave in a body bag".

Recognizing the immediate danger to Seltmann and officers, responding officers, and other occupants of the residence, took cover, established a secure perimeter. Officers evacuated all civilians from harm's way and began negotiations in an effort to bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion.

As negotiations continued, Parsons Police Detectives worked to obtain the necessary search warrants, while the Kansas Highway Patrol's High-Risk Warrant Team (HRWT) was contacted and responded to assist. Officers maintained communication with Seltmann throughout the incident, emphasizing de-escalation and a resolution that would preserve everyone's safety.

At approximately 9 p.m., after more than three hours of negotiations and police response, Seltmann voluntarily surrendered and exited the bedroom. He was taken into custody without further incident. No injuries were reported.

Following his arrest, Seltmann was transported to the Parsons Police Department for an investigative interview before being transferred to the Labette County Jail for processing.

Seltmann was arrested on suspicion of the following offenses:

· Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer

· Criminal Trespass

· Interference with Law Enforcement

The case will be forwarded to the Labette County Attorney's Office for review and formal criminal charges.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If anyone has any further information on this incident or any other criminal activity, please contact the Parsons Police Department at 421-7060 or call the Tip Line at 421-7057 or email at [email protected] .