CLEVELAND, OH – A Cleveland man has been arrested and charged with assaulting a federal officer after allegedly opening fire on U.S. Marshals attempting to execute an arrest warrant.
According to a criminal complaint, on Oct. 15, Larry Leon Dwight Wiley, 55, barricaded himself in his apartment for several hours as members of the Cleveland U.S. Marshals Service sought to take him into custody on a prior federal violation. When officers entered the unit, Wiley allegedly fired multiple shots, striking a deputy U.S. Marshal in the arm with a .380 caliber round. The wounded deputy was transported to a nearby hospital and is expected to recover.
Wiley appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer Dowdell Armstrong on Oct. 16 and was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said, “Law enforcement officers risk everything to protect us, and this case is a stark reminder of the dangers they face in the line of duty. Any attack on law enforcement is an attack on our society itself.”
U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio emphasized that “an assault on federal law enforcement is an assault against society,” and commended the responding agencies for their rapid response.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Cleveland Division of Police, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office.
Wiley is charged with assault on a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
