(UPDATE) Two Arrests Related to Drugs at House on Jefferson; Follows Arrest Monday Afternoon

Two people were arrested Tuesday afternoon at a house in the 600 block of West Jefferson and drugs are believed involved. The arrests follow the arrest of a man Monday afternoon who lives in the house.

 (THE EFFINGHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM ON THE SCENE IN THE 600 BLOCK OF WEST JEFFERSON TUESDAY AFTERNOON)

Effingham City Police Chief Jason McFarland said the two arrested are 22-year-old Brendan Kemme of Effingham and 22-year-old Ashley Schaufler of Effingham. McFarland said the arrests follow the Monday afternoon arrest of 21-year-old Jacob Rigdon of Effingham. Rigdon was identified by police riding a bicycle near Martin's Midtown Fuels, about a block from the house, and officers attempted to make an arrest, as Rigdon was being sought on a warrant for failure to appear in court. Two officers attempting to make the arrest were injured during the incident, but Rigdon was taken into custody.

Rigdon was in court Tuesday morning on a count of resisting a peace officer in which the officers were injured, possession of methamphetamine that was allegedly found in a bag he was carrying, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hypodermic needle. He is due back in court this Thursday.

Meanwhile, members of the city police's Special Response Team responded Tuesday to the residence on West Jefferson and ordered anyone in the house outside, but no one responded. Police eventually forced the front door open and found Kemme and Schaufler standing inside in the living room, where they were taken into custody without any further incident.

Kemme was arrested on counts of obstructing a peace officer and a local warrant charging possession of a stolen firearm, while Schaufler was arrested on a charge of obstructing a peace officer and a warrant charging possession of controlled substance. Both were in custody at last report.

McFarland explained that arrests are assigned certain levels of threat. An anticipated routine arrest is affected by an officer, one that could result in problems is assigned to the Special Response Team, and those that have a certain element of risk involved are handled by the ILEAS SWAT Team as was the case in an arrest on Kreke Avenue in recent days.