Chris Solida, who was involved in a four-hour standoff with authorities in Great Bend Friday night, remains in the Barton County Jail on a no-bond warrant from the District Court at Woodward, Okla., for attempted murder in the first degree.
Solida is charged for allegedly shooting his wife Brandy Solida in the head. Brandy Solida has since been released from the hospital.
Charges have also been filed in the Barton County District Court by the Great Bend Police Department, Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir said. The Kansas charges are aggravated endangerment of a child, aggravated criminal threat, criminal use of a firearm. Bond is set on the local charges of $50,000.
These stem from his holding his two children, ages 6 months and 2 years, in his car during the ordeal Friday which played out in the parking lot of Perkins Restaurant. Upon disposition of the local charges Solida will be subject to an extradition hearing and returned to the Oklahoma.
“We are fortunate everything worked out,” Bellendir said. There were no shots fired, no one was injured and there was no property damage, which is always the preferred outcome.
Authorities said they suspected Solida was headed to Great Bend. However, they were having a difficult time tracking him by “pinging” his cellular telephone, Bellendir said.
That’s when an off-duty officer from the Ness County Sheriff’s Office, who happened to be eating at the Perkins Restaurant, spotted the vehicle identified in the alerts out of Oklahoma and reported it. “It was pure luck,” Bellendir said.
Bellendir praised the cooperation and communication between all the agencies involved. Over 35 officers from the Great Bend Police Department, Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation were at the scene.
“At times like this, it takes everybody we’ve got,” the sheriff said. Despite the standoff, there were still other routine calls that had to be handled.
This led to comments on the outstanding performance of the 911 dispatchers who dealt with all the calls and kept officers informed.
He also had kind words for area residents. “All in all, the general public was very cooperative with us.”
Officers descended on the area surrounding the parking lot between Perkins Restaurant and the Best Western Angus Inn, 2920 10th St. at about 6:30 p.m. Friday. Using cars, barricades and personnel, they blocked off an area multiple-block area surrounding the scene, and evacuated motel guests, and nearby business operators and customers.
The shooting had taken place late Friday afternoon and the first alert was sent to law enforcement at 5:45 p.m.
Great Bend Street Department employees were also there, helping to divert traffic.
After hours of negotiating with BCSO Detective Sgt. David Paden, Solida surrendered to officers at about 11 p.m. The children, who slept through most of the evening, were taken to Juvenile Services for protective custody.
