Sexual assault suspect not charged in standoff

Erica D. Johnson

Friday, May 23, 2003 | 10:13 a.m.

A Henderson man accused of raping his former girlfriend should be tried on charges of sexual assault but won't face charges in connection with a six-hour police standoff, a Henderson justice of the peace ruled on Thursday.

After a preliminary hearing, Justice of the Peace Rodney Burr determined that there was enough evidence against Daniel Myrick to warrant four counts of sexual assault with use of a deadly weapon and other charges against him.

But charges stemming from Myrick's standoff with police, including resisting a public officer with a weapon, were dismissed at the preliminary hearing, Deputy Public Defender Tom Ericsson said.

Police had to arrest Myrick twice. After he was initially placed in custody on the rape charges, he was released after a court clerk mistakenly allowed him to post $23,000 bail instead of the $223,000 amount that had been set by the court.

He wound up barricaded in his house when police went to re-arrest him April 29. Police cordoned off the area and used tear gas to force him to surrender.

Authorities allege that Myrick, 38, sexually assaulted a woman at knifepoint from March 25 to 27 at his Henderson home in the 100 block of Metropolitan Drive.

Police said Myrick choked the woman to the point of unconsciousness and bound her wrists with an extension cord. She eventually freed herself and ran to a neighbor's house, where she called police.

Deputy District Attorney Gregory Knapp could not be reached for comment.

Ericsson said Myrick and the woman have a long history together and even lived together for about six years.

While they weren't living together at the time of the alleged incident, they were still dating, he said.

"She admitted to having consensual relations earlier that day," he said. "It's our position that there was no weapon used and that everything was consensual."