Drones, armored vehicles called in for police ‘standoff’ with Caldwell resident
Drones, armored vehicles and over 30 people were engaged in an hours-long standoff with a Caldwell resident Wednesday, which ended in the man’s arrest, according to a news release issued by the Caldwell Police Department.
Officers responded to a call after an 81-year-old man nearly struck a resident while speeding through his neighborhood in his vehicle and then threatened the resident with violence, according to police.
When an officer arrived, the man “quickly fled” into his home, according to the release. He refused to communicate with police and barricaded himself inside.
Officers learned unspecified “additional information” that raised concerns that the suspect posed a “significant and imminent threat” to nearby residents and the general public, according to the release.
“Moreover, the suspect was believed to be heavily armed, threatening to shoot,” the release said. “This suspect has a history of violence in this community.”
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MOREWhy we aren't naming all suspects
The Idaho Statesman doesn’t always name the suspect in crime stories. Our general practice, implemented in February 2022, is that we only name suspects when we are committed to following a case through the criminal justice system. That ensures that if charges are reduced or dismissed, or the person is acquitted, our reporting will reflect that. We made this decision as part of our Clean Slate project, which creates a pathway for people whose minor crimes were reported by us in the past to have those stories de-indexed so they don’t show up in Google searches. We also can always decide to name the suspect later if appropriate. Learn more about our Clean Slate project here.
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Over 30 people responded to the incident, including members of the Caldwell Police Department, Caldwell Fire Department, Caldwell SWAT team and Canyon County Paramedics.
According to police, officers continually attempted to contact the man by phone, text and PA system, but he did not respond. With tear gas, officers forced him to exit his home, but he still refused to comply. Officers struck him with a bean bag round and took him into custody “without further use of force,” the release said.
The suspect was booked into Canyon County Jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, eluding an officer and resisting arrest, the release said.
