Davidson County officers arrest suspect after hours-long standoff

CLEMMONS, North Carolina – A suspect is in custody following an hours-long standoff in Lexington, according to officials with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.

On Friday, deputies said they responded to the 200 block of Bruce Street in Clemmons. They were there to try to serve an arrest warrant on 53-year-old Arthur Kühne. Kuehne had an active arrest warrant for first-degree kidnapping stemming from a previous incident in Davidson County.

Officers said they made several attempts to reach Kuehne at the home by telephone and through a public address system in her patrol car. They briefly contacted Kühne by telephone; However, he said he was not home and claimed to be out of the county. According to deputies, Kuehne ignored officers’ commands and refused to leave the apartment.

The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Special Operation Response Team (SERT) also responded to the scene and attempted to make contact with Kuehne over the armored vehicle’s public address system. Deputies said crisis negotiators also attempted to contact Kuehne by phone. He didn’t answer.

The SERT team then used chemical munitions inside the house. Kuehne was seen walking around the house, but did not leave the house or obey commands. Officers said the SERT team then went into the home and encountered Kühne. Then he became combative.

Kuehne was taken into custody and treated for minor injuries by emergency medical services personnel at the scene. While in custody he was taken to the hospital. Upon his release, Kuehne will be taken to the judge’s office and released into the custody of the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center.