The man who authorities say held a gun to his 3-year-old daughter’s head during a 6-hour standoff with sheriff’s deputies last month has been indicted on kidnapping and other charges.
The incident happened in Strasburg on March 10th. Tuscarawas County Sheriff deputies went to 45-year-old James Copeland’s Haswell Circle apartment to serve a protection order and return the daughter to her mother when he slammed the door on them.
After six hours, Copeland came out unarmed and was taken to jail, where he remains, with bail set at one million dollars. Last week, the grand jury handed down a five-count indictment that includes two counts of kidnapping, a second-degree felony, with a three-year firearms
specification.
That means, if convicted, Copeland would face an additional mandatory three-year prison term for using a firearm while committing the offense.
Copeland used the 3-year-old as a shield or hostage. The other says he held the child to “terrorize” a second unnamed victim. Copeland is also accused of stalking that second victim in the 10 days leading up to the March 10th standoff. In addition to kidnapping and menacing by
stalking, Copeland is charged with endangering children and violating a protection order.
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