On 11/22/2004 officers from the Deputy State Fire Marshall's Office and the St. Mary's Bureau of Criminal Investigations responded to a California, MD address in an attempt to locate Thomas Franklin Hill, Jr. Mr. Hill was wanted on two felony warrants through the State Fire Marshall's Office. While at the residence, officers determined that the wanted man was inside the residence and he refused to surrender to police. There was also reason to believe that the man was possibly armed and was preventing other occupants of the residence from leaving.
The officers established a perimeter and activated numerous resources to include the following: St. Mary's County and Calvert County Sheriff's Office SWAT teams, St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office and Maryland State Police road patrols, St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Hostage Negotiations Team, the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department, the Hollywood Rescue Squad, and the State Highway Administration.
After a standoff of approximately six hours, the incident came to a peaceful conclusion as the wanted man was extracted from the residence. The wanted man and all occupants were removed from the residence without injuries. The felony warrants were served and additional charges were filed through the District Court.
The St. Mary's County Bureau of Criminal Investigations is an investigative team comprised of Detectives from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police, Leonardtown Barrack. The unit was established on July 1, 2003 and is based in Leonardtown, Maryland.