MORGANTOWN – An armed man was barricaded inside a Morgantown law office for several hours Monday before he eventually surrendered to police.
The situation started just after noon on December 16 at the Cranston Edwards Law office on Dorsey Avenue when the man, later identified as Jeremy Harp, pulled out a pistol.
Harp is the brother of Christopher Harp, who was represented by attorney Bryan Edwards earlier this year in a federal child pornography case. Edwards’ defense was that the pornography actually was received by Jeremy Harp instead of his brother. But Christopher Harp was convicted.
Jeremy Harp showed up at the law offices Monday and wanted to speak to Edwards, according to a statement from the firm. Edwards wasn’t there, but he did get a full confession from Jeremy Harp admitting to the child pornography charges.
Jeremy Harp then pulled out a pistol and held it to his chest. Employees of the law firm exited the building, and 911 was called. Authorities arrived within minutes, according to the statement.
Part of Dorsey Avenue was closed as crisis negotiators from the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department, Morgantown Police Department, West Virginia State Police and EMS assisted.
After 5 ½ hours, Harp surrendered and was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital for evaluation.
The law firm’s complete statement is below:
“In April 2024, attorney Bryan Edwards of our firm represented a gentleman by the name of Christopher Harp, who was accused of receipt and possession of child pornography in federal court. Christopher Harp steadfastly maintained his innocence. During the trial, it was our contention that Christopher Harp was not the individual who received and possessed the pornography; but it was, in fact, his brother, who committed this heinous crime. Unfortunately, Christopher Harp was convicted.
“This morning, Christopher Harp’s brother, Jeremy Harp, arrived at our office unannounced and indicated that he wished to provide a statement to Attorney Edwards. Attorney Edwards was not present at the time, but did obtain Jeremy Harp’s full confession in front of a court reporter and it was recorded via Zoom. Thereafter, Jeremy Harp pulled out a pistol and placed it on his chest. Our office staff immediately exited building and called 911 to report the incident. Law enforcement officers and EMS personnel promptly responded. Fortunately, nobody got hurt.
“We would like to thank the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department, Morgantown Police Department, West Virginia State Police, and Monongalia County EMS and all other responders for handling the situation in such as professional manner. It was greatly appreciated.”
The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement Tuesday containing much of the same information. It also said the investigation is ongoing and no criminal charges have been filed at this time.