Kalispell standoff ends peacefully
<p><strong>A man</strong> is taken into police custody on Monday morning on Second Street East in Kalispell. According to a press release from Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset, "After more than 2 1/2 hours of negotiating, the subject agreed to come out at 9:35 a.m. He was taken into custody for a mental-health evaluation. There were no injuries as a result of this incident and at this point it does not appear there will be criminal charges." (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Members of the Kalispell Police Department Strategic Response Team line up behind an armored vehicle outside a house at the intersection of Second Street East and Third Avenue in Kalispell. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Streets were cordoned off in central Kalispell Monday morning while police negotiated with an apparently suicidal man.
The standoff ended peacefully at 9:35 a.m. when the 43-year-old man came out of his house and was taken into custody for a mental-health evaluation.
The intersection of Third Avenue East and Second Street East and nearby streets were cordoned off to the public while negotiators spoke with the man, who initially refused to come out of his home.
Traffic was shut down on Second Street East between First and Fourth avenues and on Third Avenue East between Center and Third streets.
The incident began at 4:15 a.m. when the Kalispell Police Department received a report of a suicidal man.
The man had firearms and had made threats against any responding law enforcement, according to a news release from Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset.
An initial perimeter was set up around the home. After initial attempts to contact the man by phone were unsuccessful, extra personnel, negotiators and the Kalispell Special Response teams were called to the scene.
At 6:50 a.m., the man answered his phone and began talking with negotiators but refused to come out of the residence.
School officials at Linderman Education Center — across the street from the man’s home — were notified about the situation and Nasset said a “strong law enforcement presence” was on campus. School buses were directed to the safer side of the school. The secure campus was in effect until the incident ended.
After more than 2 1/2 hours of negotiating, the man agreed to come out. There were no injuries and it does not appear there will be criminal charges, Nasset said.