Subject of Sharpsburg-area manhunt turns himself in to police

“This was not a Hagerstown Barracks case,” he said. “We were assisting.”

There was no visible activity in the area Friday morning.

Heather Hamilton, 35, who lives at 18809 Burnside Bridge Road, around the corner from Porter’s house, said Friday that a Maryland State Police trooper went to her home Thursday to talk to her about what was going on and mentioned that it was regarding a man she had known since childhood.

“You had helicopters flying over, SWAT crews down here, excavation equipment was brought in, and armored vehicles,” she said. “It was ridiculous for (the man), who would not hurt another person for anything. Unless you would attack him, he’s not going to go after anyone.”

She said she viewed the operation as “a big waste of taxpayer money.”

Hamilton, who lives with her husband, Bruce, and her mother, Diane Harrell, is one of the owners of Harrell’s Services, which provides heating, ventilation and air conditioning sales, services and installations and is operated out of her house. She said she grew up across the street from Porter before he moved to his current home.

Allen Crampton, 40, who lives on Mills Road, said he and Porter attended Sharpsburg Elementary School at the same time, although in different grades.

“He doesn’t deserve what happened to him yesterday,” Crampton said.

Crampton, who lives with his parents, his wife and his three children, said he had left for a doctor’s appointment in Hagerstown just before police arrived. His oldest son and his wife were with him.

“By the time we got to Sharpsburg, my parents called me and told me Mills Road had shut down,” he said.

“We got back around 5:30 (p.m.), and they told us we weren’t going to be able to come home.”

Crampton said he was able to get into the back of his house by using Horseshoe Bend Road. Once home, he said, he was able to observe what was going on.

“I just saw a bunch of cops, and whenever we looked out the window, they were all going up in (the man’s) driveway,” he said. “It was like a flashback of Woodstock ’99 when the riots happened.”

Crampton’s mother, Debbie Crampton, 58, said she was at home throughout the day Thursday and witnessed units arriving on the scene.

“I thought I heard planes going over the house, and I went outside and saw helicopters and at least six or eight police cars,” she said. “The road was blocked off.”