Staff Report
SAFFORD — A tense, five-hour standoff unfolded in Graham County on the night of July 2, resulting in the arrest of 62-year-old Timothy Gronwald after he allegedly threatened a woman with a firearm and barricaded himself inside a camp trailer.
The Graham County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at approximately 10:44 p.m. from a woman who reported that Gronwald had pointed a gun at her and ordered her to leave his property.
According to the Sheriff’s Office report, the woman was visiting her friend who has resided at the property for eight years and shares a child with Gronwald. The woman said that she and her friend had returned from a trip to Circle K and were sitting at the kitchen table, scratching lottery tickets, when Gronwald entered the home. He reportedly yelled at the victim to leave, pulled out a handgun — described as possibly a revolver or a .22 caliber pistol with a magazine — and pointed it directly at her. The victim said she felt scared and gathered her belongings to leave, later recalling that Gronwald threatened to kill her. The victim’s friend corroborated her account, stating that Gronwald waved the gun and pointed it at the victim while yelling for her to get off the property. The friend also expressed fear and confirmed her desire to press charges.
Deputies arrived at the scene, where Gronwald’s camp trailer was located on the northwest corner of the property, enclosed by a locked chain-link fence. Gronwald, who owns the property, was spotted outside the trailer but refused to engage with deputies. When officers attempted to approach, he retreated into the trailer, locked himself inside, and ignored commands to exit. Deputies established a perimeter, and additional support from the Safford, Thatcher, and Pima Police Departments, as well as Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers, arrived to assist.
Efforts to communicate with Gronwald were unsuccessful. He yelled from inside the trailer, demanding to speak with the FBI and claiming law enforcement had no legal right to engage him. Phone conversations with Gronwald’s sister, nephew, and a friend revealed his fear that officers intended to harm him. The friend claimed Gronwald told her he had a Ruger .22 handgun, but denied using it and insisted he had brandished a bat during the incident.
As the standoff continued, UnderSheriff Jeff McCormies secured a search warrant for the trailer, and a multi-department Special Response Team (SRT) took over and issued repeated commands for Gronwald to surrender. When he refused, deputies deployed tear gas into the trailer, prompting Gronwald to exit, raising his hands and removing his shirt. However, he failed to comply with further instructions, and the SRT fired a 40mm bean bag round, which struck him in the right buttocks. Gronwald was then handcuffed and taken into custody without further incident.
He was offered medical attention at the scene but declined. Deputies transported him to Mount Graham Hospital, where he was medically cleared for jail. During the transport, Gronwald made erratic statements, including accusations that deputies were planning to harm him and claims that “Graham County is going to become Gronwald County.”
At the jail, he continued to behave belligerently, shouting during a search.
Gronwald was booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on multiple charges, including four counts of disorderly conduct with a weapon, threatening, aggravated assault, and resisting arrest, with some charges classified as domestic violence due to his relationship with the first victim’s friend. Authorities noted prior interactions with Gronwald and the woman at the residence showed a history of domestic issues.
