The Columbia suspect who allegedly held a loaded gun to a woman’s head and then fired a shot near her before barricading himself in a house for hours near Blue Ridge and Parker is jailed without bond, charged with multiple felonies.
Boone County prosecutors have charged 44-year-old Travis Dean Peterson with domestic assault, armed criminal action, resisting arrest and two other felonies. Peterson was arrested by police, after a four-hour standoff that closed the area near Parker and Blue Ridge.
The Columbia Police Department’s three-page probable cause statement alleges that Peterson threatened to kill his girlfriend and that he also threatened to shoot police officers, if they entered his home. He eventually exited his home and was arrested without incident.
(January 14, 2026 photo courtesy of CPD Facebook page)
939 the Eagle News covered the standoff from a media staging area at nearby Albert Oakland park. Columbia Police spokesman Colin Imhoff tells 939 the Eagle that no injuries are reported:
“With the standoff we do know that they were threatening to shoot officers and that’s why officers did not go inside to apprehend the suspect, and that’s why they’ve surrounded the area,” Imhoff says.
The suspect was taken into custody at about 1:30 on Wednesday afternoon. CPD’s probable cause statement says Peterson has a criminal history and out-of-state charges including domestic-related offenses. Columbia Public Schools (CPS) spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark tells 939 the Eagle that Oakland and Blue Ridge schools went into secure mode during the standoff. Secure mode means students stay inside and a regular day continues.