BOISE, Idaho — A Caldwell man was arrested following a tense standoff with police that lasted several hours on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Caldwell Police Department, at 11:15 a.m., they responded to several calls of a man who was allegedly speeding through neighborhoods in the area of East Linden Street and South Indiana Avenue and tried to hit someone. Police later identified the man as 81-year-old Erwin Dahlke from Caldwell.
Police said Dahlke allegedly threatened the same person he tried to hit. When officers arrived, they tried to pull him over but refused to stop, and he went to his house. Officers set a perimeter outside the home and evacuated the neighbors.
Caldwell Police said Dahlke posed a threat to the public because he was allegedly "heavily armed, threatening to shoot."
Dahlke refused to communicate with crisis negotiation officers and remained barricaded inside his home. Police said more law enforcement officers, including Caldwell SWAT, came to the scene.
The department said around 5:00 p.m., police cut the power to his home and shot tear gas inside. Dahlke came outside and was taken into custody after being shot by a bean bag round.
Police said Dahlke was taken to get medical attention and later was booked into the Canyon County Jail on his charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, eluding an officer and resisting arrest.
Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram released a statement about the incident in the new release:
This suspect has a history of violence in this community. The combined efforts by the Caldwell Police Department, Caldwell Fire, and Canyon County Paramedics resulted in a dangerous person being taken into custody while protecting the surrounding community and the suspect himself from serious injury or death. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of the neighborhood during this operation. Reverence for human life is our guiding principle and we will always exhaust every resource and the time it takes to apprehend a violent person without resorting to deadly force.
