West’s Girlfriend Releases Statement

The girlfriend of Arthur West, the Zanesville man who was killed in a standoff with sheriff’s deputies Saturday night, is speaking out for the first time.

Sabrina Wofter said she decided to speak to the media after finding what she believes are several inaccuracies in the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Report. Despite what was stated in the initial report, Wofter said the incident never appeared to be a hostage situation. She also said she does not believe West broke the upstairs window to threaten police, as she said she found most of the glass shards inside the home. She said it appears the window broke from the bullet fired by the sheriff’s deputy.

Tuesday she released a statement:

“There were not hostages in the home at any point that night, we had just arrived home that night and the children and myself were in the car when Arthur appeared on the porch with a weapon, we all then fled from the car on foot in separate directions, and at some point I realized I could not locate the children. 911 was called and I reported the situation stating that I did not know where the kids were and that they were told to run, but I did not know their location or if they had been taken into to the house,” she said. “I find it odd that there is no mention of the police assault and arrest of Arthur’s younger brother Andrew, when he attempted to enter the home to protect and potentially save his brother. I do believe that with patience this situation could have been handled differently and that Arthur could still be with us.”

The incident remains under investigation. WHIZ will bring you more on this story as it develops.