(MARSHALL COUNTY, Ky.) — A stolen off-road vehicle complaint on Monday escalated into an hours-long standoff requiring a Special Response Team before concluding with two arrests, according to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a report of a stolen side-by-side on Briensburg Tatumsville Road on May 19, 2026. Tracks from the stolen vehicle led investigators to a neighboring residence down the road, where they made an unexpected discovery.
Upon arriving at the property, deputies observed a man — later identified as Donald G. Thorn, 51, of Benton — passed out inside a vehicle with a pistol resting on his lap. Thorn had already been on law enforcement’s radar that day, as the Calvert City Police Department had been seeking him for questioning in connection with a separate road rage incident.
When deputies made contact with Thorn, he became belligerent and refused to exit the vehicle. Deputies were aware that Thorn is a convicted felon, making his possession of the firearm a criminal offense. After negotiations at the scene failed, authorities called in the Marshall County Special Response Team — a joint unit comprised of deputies from the Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Benton Police Department.
SRT members also attempted to talk Thorn out of the vehicle, but those efforts were likewise unsuccessful. Deputies ultimately deployed gas into the vehicle, at which point Thorn exited without further incident. He was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Meanwhile, the stolen side-by-side was later found wrecked near the intersection of Ridge Road and Frazier Road. A joint investigation by Marshall County Detectives and the Calvert City Police Department led to the identification and arrest of Derek Darnall, 39, of Gilbertsville, who was located in the area and determined to have been operating the stolen vehicle. Darnall was charged with receiving stolen property over $1,000 and second-degree criminal mischief.
Both Thorn and Darnall were booked into the Marshall County Jail.
