Police search for two men after standoff

The search of a Culp Street home provided no leads in the whereabouts of two men who ran from police during a traffic stop on Friday.
Capt. Harlean Howard of the Lancaster Police Department said the search began after a police officer tried to stop a purple PT Cruiser for speeding on Meeting Street about 10 a.m. on Friday.
“This was as a result of a routine car stop,” Howard said.
According to an incident report, the police officer tried to pull the car over, but the driver did not stop. Police followed the car down several roads until they reached Culp Street, where the driver and a passenger ran from the car.
There were two men and a 9-year-old child in the car, Howard said.
“The men jumped out and ran away,” she said.
The police officer found the boy in the back of the car and asked him about the two men.  
“He said one of the men was his dad and that his daddy had a gun in the car,” Howard said. “Officers did not find a gun in the car, so they believed he had a gun with him.”
The driver of the car was identified as Brandon Dupree James, 26, of 1714 Old Lynwood Circle, but Howard said police still don’t know the name of the passenger, who was seen wearing dark pants and a camouflage hoodie jacket.
Police used a canine tracking unit to search for the men, which led them to a house on Culp Street. Howard said a neighbor near the house reported seeing one of the men enter that house.
“After a standoff and calling him to come out of the house, the SWAT team went in, and it turns out he wasn’t in there,” she said.
Maj. David Belk of the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said deputies assisted the police department in surrounding the house Friday afternoon.
“We just played it safe. We surrounded the house, went in and searched it,” Belk said. “None of our people saw him go in. But before we could let the homeowner in, it was only prudent to check the house.”
Howard said the men had not been found as of Friday evening, though the child’s mother picked him up at the scene and brought him home.
James was already wanted by the S.C. Department of Probation and Parole for questioning and was driving under suspension, Belk said.
According to the incident report, police have issued several new warrants, including failure to stop for blue lights, resisting arrest, speeding, child endangerment and violation of the child restraint law.

Contact reporter Chris Sardelli  at csardelli@thelancasternews.com or at (803) 416-8416