Jeffrey Roeder, a Michigan man, was arrested yesterday morning following a violent, four-hour standoff at State College Regional Airport that left one officer injured. Police initially responded to the terminal shortly after 2:00 a.m. regarding a suspicious person hiding a backpack. They discovered Roeder destroying property at the baggage claim rental kiosks. When confronted, Roeder brandished a knife and threatened to stab an officer before barricading himself inside a Hertz rental kiosk. The Centre County Tactical Response Team was deployed as Roeder exhibited erratic behavior, claiming to be under the influence of methamphetamine. During the confrontation, he slashed furniture and swung his knife at officers from behind a counter. One officer sustained a hand laceration during the struggle to disarm him. While an initial sweep of a suspicious backpack found in the parking lot yielded no explosives, property damage from the incident is estimated to exceed $7,500. Airport Director Ralph Stewart confirmed the terminal reopened shortly after the arrest.
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