Officers from at least four police departments surrounded federal agent James Sirbaugh in Bridgeport Thursday after his presence in Belmont County forced the lockdown of the entire St. Clairsville-Richland City School District.
Just weeks removed from a standoff with police at his Ohio County home, Sirbaugh was arrested Thursday on Ohio 7 for violating the bond conditions that resulted from his Aug. 21 arrest, according to Ohio County Prosecutor Scott Smith.
Sirbaugh - a special agent who was placed on leave by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives following the apparent domestic dispute at his house on Stonegate Drive - has been on house arrest in Virginia, where he has been living with family. He met with his attorney, Kevin Neiswonger, at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Wheeling area; he was then supposed to travel back to Virginia.
However, Smith said Sirbaugh, who is monitored with a court-ordered tracking system, drew the attention of authorities when he traveled into Ohio. He said Sirbaugh was with a convicted felon at the time of his arrest, which also is a violation of his bond.
"We were on top of this," Smith said. "We noticed he was lingering here in the Wheeling area and traveled into Ohio. Coupled with the fact his wife works in Ohio, those factors were the catalyst for taking action."
St. Clairsville School Resource Officer Jeff Gazdik said local police departments were advised to be on the lookout for Sirbaugh after his wife, a St. Clairsville High School teacher, learned her husband was in the area. He said the schools were subsequently locked down for the next two hours.
Sirbaugh was arrested at 11:41 a.m. Thursday in the southbound lane of Ohio 7 near the Bridgeport exit by a Belmont County sheriff's deputy. Units from Bridgeport and Martins Ferry police departments and the Ohio State Highway Patrol also were at the scene.
On Aug. 21, Sirbaugh allegedly slashed tires and threw items from a second-floor window of his home. The incident drew the response of West Virginia State Police and the Ohio County Sheriff's Department. Comments reportedly made by Sirbaugh prompted officers to search the home for explosives, and police blocked the public from the area until their investigation was complete.
Smith said he does not know when Sirbaugh's extradition hearing will be held. He said he would be opposed to Sirbaugh being released again. Smith also said he did not approve of the suspect's recent release from a medical facility.
"I objected to his release from the hospital about 10 days ago," he said. "... In order to hold someone against their will in a hospital setting, a doctor has to be of the opinion that person is mentally ill and a danger to himself and others."
St. Clairsville-Richland City School District Superintendent Walt Skaggs said the students were not aware of the circumstances surrounding the lockdown. He said they handled the situation well and without fear. He noted the staff monitored the school grounds, and he was pleased with the way the situation was handled. Skaggs called the lockdown a precaution.
Smith noted no threats were made Thursday, and he said Sirbaugh did not make contact with his wife. He said the woman with Sirbaugh at the time of his arrest Thursday was released and is not facing charges.