Police decide not to charge man in downtown standoff

Following an Aug. 31 downtown standoff, a South Carolina man has been set free to leave Asheville when he is released from the hospital, where his mental health was being evaluated at presstime.

Kenneth Eldimore Allison, 54, of Hilton Head Island, will go free, police noted Sept. 2. His driver’s license is valid and police will give him the paperwork so that he can retrieve his car.

While police could have cited Allison for running a red light and failure to immediately pull over for a flashing blue light, as well as obstructing an officer during an investigation for refusing to get out of his car, but state law also lets officers decide whether to issue citations and make arrests.

In Allison’s case, the officers decided not to charge Allison because of concerns about his mental health.

The area around Battery Park and Otis Street was closed off, with a heavy police presence, after Allison refused to get out of his black 2010 Camaro. He reportedly acted agitated when approached by an officer. He surrendered peacefully around 7 p.m., ending the 2.5-hour standoff.

Once in custody, police obtained involuntary commitment papers from the Buncombe County Magistrate’s Office because they considered Allison a possible danger to himself or others.

He was admitted to Mission Hospital for a mental evaluation.

Allison also faces charges in Beaufort County, S.C., based on an armed standoff with deputies for nearly four hours at his island home on Aug. 18.

UNCA campus police note
man’s arrest on 3 charges

The campus police at UNC Asheville recently charged a nonresident with three misdemeanor traffic offenses, including escape from custody or resisting arrest, at 11 a.m. Aug. 20.

Donald Alexander Standridge,, 21, was driving a gray 2001 Jeep, playing loud music and consuming alcohol while driving through campus, according to the arrest report.

When police asked the driver to stop, he reportedly sped away in a reckless manner. Following his arrest, he later was released on a $500 bond, the report stated.

Other recent UNCA crime activity includes the following:

• A fire hydrant cap blew off, injuring a worker, at an undisclosed location on campus at 1:20 p.m. Aug. 26. The case status was labeled as “inactive.”
Bob Wiggins. 2 Lornell Place, Asheville, was hurt in the incident. He works for Essential Systems Engineering in Asheville. No other details on the case were provided by UNCA police.

• Vandalism at Karpan Hall was reported at 8:32 a.m. Aug. 31. The location was last known secure at 9 p.m. Aug. 30.
Connie Schaller, who works for UNCA Facilities Management, reported damage to structures, which police estimated at $75. Police are investigating the case further.

• The theft of items at the Health & Fitness Center was reported at 6:05 p.m. Aug. 31. The items were last known secure at 4:15 p.m. Aug. 30.
Anna Kathryn Williford, 21, a student from Wilson, reported the theft of a Fossil purse, valued at $40; and various identification and credit cards, valued at $50.

• Vandalism of building materials — via “busting a window” — was discovered and reported at 10:46 p.m. Aug. 21 at Zeis Hall on campus, police noted. No value of the materials was listed on the police report.
The items were last known secure at 2:38 p.m. Aug. 21.

• The theft of Toshiba radio-TV-VCR-stereo equipment was reported at 8:25 a.m. Aug. 9 at Mills Hall on campus.
The equipment, valued at $1,500, was last known secured at 8:16 p.m. Aug. 8.

• The theft of a Fuji/Sagres bicycle was reported at 3:32 p.m. Aug. 3 on campus, with no address specified in the incident/investigation report.

Dylan Nicholas Harkavy, of 6516 Thunder Mountain Rd., Eflan, said the bicycle — valued at $300 — was last known secure on July 1.

The theft was accomplished “by cutting a chain and taking a Fuji bicycle from a bike rack,” the report stated.