Instagram/Whiskey Warrior One of the posts on Whiskey Warrior's Instagram page on the night of November 23.
Whiskey Warrior 556 aka Alex Booth’s standoff with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has ended peacefully. Booth, 28, is an Afghan war veteran who served in the U.S. Army.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson confirmed to Heavy.com just before 1 a.m. on November 24 that nobody was hurt as Booth surrendered to officers. The standoff took place in the town of Mahopac, just under 60 miles north of New York City, in Westchester County.
Alexander Booth goes by Whiskey_Warrior_556 on Instagram, where he streamed parts of the Putnam County NY police standoff and posted videos and sent messages to his followers.
“The negotiators were very close many times to getting the individual to come out of the residence peacefully and the posts that were on Instagram were just inviting him,” Carmel Police Chief Michael Cazzari told NBC New York. “This is a person in crisis having mental illness and having issues and he didn’t need the people on social media telling him that his rights were being violated.”
The six-hour standoff ended about 9 p.m. on Saturday, November 23. Booth was booked at the Putnam County Correctional Facility at 12:35 a.m. on Sunday, November 24, online records show. He remained in custody Sunday afternoon.
Booth Said on Instagram That He Wanted a Peaceful Resolution With Authorities
Alex Booth had been updating his followers on his Instagram page about the standoff. In one post, Booth said that he was looking for a peaceful resolution with officers. The sheriff’s spokesperson had no comment on unfounded social media rumors that the standoff had degenerated into a shooting at a nearby cemetery.
A press release from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said that an officer went to the home at 2:19 p.m. on November 23 after a deputy heard what he thought was a gunshot coming from Booth’s home. Nearby homes were evacuated and back-up was called to the scene. At that stage, the sheriff’s office says that Booth became barricaded in his home.
“The officer hearing what he believed to be a gunshot come from the residence requested backup,” the press release said. “When additional officers arrived Mr. Booth was observed in the doorway acting in an agitated state before returning inside his garage apartment and barricading himself. As a safety precaution officers evacuated the neighboring houses and alerted the Putnam County Emergency Response Team and Negotiation Team.”
Booth Is Not Facing Any Charges Relating to the Standoff
After a six-hour-long standoff, Booth surrendered peacefully. “Negotiators made contact with Mr. Booth and after six hours of discussion they were successful in convincing him to surrender without incident. Thanks to their tireless efforts no civilians or police were harmed,” a press release said.
The Carmel Police Department said that Booth was subsequently arraigned on multiple charges related to incidents connected to a past domestic incident involving his wife. Booth was wanted on a felony warrant issued by Thomas Jacobellis charging him with second-degree burglary, a felony, and several misdemeanors, including criminal trespass, criminal contempt, aggravated harassment and petit larceny. Booth is not facing any charges in relation to the standoff. His arraignment was held at Carmel Town Justice Court.
The press release concludes by saying that no weapons or ammunition were seized from Booth’s home despite “false social media posts to the contrary.” Many on social media believed that Booth was a victim of the Red Flag Law in the state of New York.
According to the New York State website, “The Red Flag Law, also known as the extreme risk protection order law, is effective in New York State as of August 24, 2019. The law prevents individuals who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing any kind of firearm.” The sheriff’s office addressed those rumors in a subsequent press release.
Booth Was Deployed to Afghanistan When He Was 19 Years Old
Facebook/Alex Booth
Social media posts indicate that Booth has one child, a young baby. On his Instagram bio, Booth refers to himself as a “libertarian” and “2A” supporter. Booth writes on his profile, “Make America Defiant Again.”
In a Veteran’s Day post on his Instagram page, Booth says that he was 19 when he was first deployed to Afghanistan. Booth describes it was “one of the most shitty hostile places on the planet. My experience there help make me the man I am today.”
Booth says on his Facebook page that he attended both Danbury and Martin County High Schools. Booth also says that he attended Western Connecticut State University. On his intro page, Booth posted the quote, “People sleep peacefully in their beds because rough men stand ready to bad things on their behalf.”
Booth’s social media pages show he has been married since October 2018. His wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter, in July. He posted a photo on Instagram with her along with the caption, “YFW: dad rants about conspiracy theories ? #babygirl #newborn #daddy #rebel #smallhumans #libertarian #taxationistheft #donttreadonme #molonlabe”
Police Said They Were ‘Overwhelmed’ by Phone Calls, Emails & Social Media Messages
Alexander Booth.
“The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has been inundated with calls and social media messages from citizens expressing concern about a police response in the Town of Carmel,” a Facebook message about the standoff read. “The incident was widely reported to be a law enforcement effort to seize firearms under ‘Red Flag’ laws. This information is incorrect. The law enforcement response and subsequent arrest was related to a domestic violence investigation. The citizen involved is safe and in police custody.”
The sheriff’s office added, “The incredibly high volume of phone calls, emails and social media messages has overwhelmed our systems and shutdown our ability to communicate with our community. While we respect the right of all citizens to inquire about law enforcement activity, we urge you to respect the needs of our community and restore our ability to serve them. Thank you.”
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