Oswego man released on bail after domestic incident, standoff with police

A domestic violence incident in the city of Sterling led to the arrest of an Oswego man after a standoff with authorities, according to Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck.

The incident occurred on Oct. 10 at approximately 2:40 p.m. when deputies from the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a residence in the Sterling Pines area. Upon arrival, police discovered that the victim had fled the house and sought refuge in a neighbor’s house. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Zachary T. Ermini of Oswego, was inside the victim’s residence and refused to leave when officers attempted to make contact.

Authorities discovered that Ermini was violating a total stay-away protective order that had previously been issued against him. Officers quickly established a perimeter around the home to prevent him from escaping. After members of the Sheriff’s Office negotiation team contacted Ermini by phone, they were able to convince him to surrender peacefully.

Ermini was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal contempt, a misdemeanor, and aggravated family offense, a felony. He was transported to the Cayuga County Public Safety Building for processing and later arraigned in CAP Court, where bail was set at $2,500 cash or $5,000 surety. Ermini posted bail and was released the following morning.

The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the New York State Police, Fair Haven Fire Department and Cayuga County 911 in responding to the incident.

Anyone with more information is encouraged to contact the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office at 315-253-1222 or submit a tip through the county website.

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