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Officers spend hours at possible barricade scene in Montgomery County to find suspect had already left

Authorities initially said man barricaded himself inside house

Several law enforcement agencies responded to a scene in Montgomery County Tuesday night where they initially said a man barricaded himself inside a house on Peppers Ferry Road. (WSLS)

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – Several law enforcement agencies, including multiple SWAT teams, responded to a scene in Montgomery County Tuesday evening where they initially said a man barricaded himself inside a house on Peppers Ferry Road.

However, the man they were searching for, Bryce Gordon Richards, left the house before police had even arrived, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

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Richards is wanted for assault and battery charges, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said they believe Richards ran, rather than drove away from the house because he doesn’t have a vehicle.

The Sheriff’s Office said it’s not clear if Richards had a weapon on him, but it doesn’t consider him to be a threat to the public at this time.

Officers first responded at around 4 p.m. and the scene was cleared before 9 p.m.

Virginia State Police was at the scene along with the Blacksburg Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.