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TRENTON — Who is Tyleeb Reese and why is he in trouble with the law?

Police said officers from the NY/NJ U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force showed up at Reese's address Wednesday morning before 6:30 a.m. to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.

Police said Reese, a convicted sex offender with a long criminal record, fired at the officers who retreated from his home. He then barricaded himself, and a standoff ensued — continuing 30 hours later.

Robert Powell, 56, who lived nearby, was caught in the crossfire and died. Three sheriff's officers suffered minor injuries.

Trenton Police spokesman Lt. Stephen Varn said late Thursday morning that State Police "units continue to negotiate the suspect's surrender." Police believe Reese is armed and alone in the building.

Varn said the immediate block around Reese's residence was evacuated and a large police presence remains.

Trenton Police Lt. Stephen Varn declined to provide details about the latest warrant during news conferences Wednesday.

Court records obtained by New Jersey 101.5 reveal that Reese was a convicted sex offender who had been accused of raping a teenager between the ages of 13 and 16. He also was convicted for failing to register as a sex offender after his release from jail. 

Shawntae Carmichael-Livingston, who posted a series of posts on her Facebook page asking Reese, who she said "was like a father to my kids," to "please stop,"  told New Jersey 101.5 on Thursday morning that "he was a good guy overall that snapped."

Court records show Reese was charged with a 2006 sexual assault of a victim between the age of 13 and 16 in Trenton. He was sentenced in 2010 to just over a year in jail after pleading guilty to fourth-degree sexual criminal contact.

Reese was charged in 2013 for not registering as a Megan's Law sex offender. For that, he served 47 days in prison.

In 2010, Reese was charged by Mercer County sheriff's officers with hindering the arrest of Mark McCray, who had been wanted for a probation violation, according to a report at the time in The Trentonian. 

Reese surrendered to Trenton Police in 2004 after he was named among Mercer County Sheriff's "most wanted," according to a report at the time in The Trentonian. His family arranged for his surrender to police in connection with a 2002 incident outside the Blue Note Bar in Trenton.

Varn said those evacuated can find food and shelter at the Trenton Senior Center located at 870 Broad St. Their number is 609-989-3837.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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