CPD: Man arrested after standoff with SWAT in Caldwell

BOISE, Idaho – A Caldwell man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after a standoff with police that lasted several hours.

According to Caldwell police, at 11:15 a.m. they responded to multiple calls of a man allegedly speeding through residential areas in the area of ​​East Linden Street and South Indiana Avenue, attempting to run someone over. Police later identified the man as 81-year-old Erwin Dahlke of Caldwell.

According to police, Dahlke threatened the same person he was trying to hit. When officers arrived, they tried to stop him, but he didn't stop, and he went to his house. Officers cordoned off the house and evacuated neighbors.

Caldwell police said Dahlke posed a danger to the public because he was allegedly “heavily armed and threatened to shoot.”

Dahlke refused to communicate with crisis negotiators and remained barricaded in his home. Police said additional law enforcement officers, including Caldwell SWAT, were on the scene.

Police said police cut off the power to his home and fired tear gas into the house around 5 p.m. Dahlke came outside and was arrested after being hit with a beanbag projectile.

According to police, Dahlke was taken for medical treatment and later booked into the Canyon County Jail. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, fleeing from a police officer and resisting arrest.

In the new press release, Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram released a statement about the incident:

This suspect has a history of violence in this community. The combined efforts of the Caldwell Police Department, Caldwell Fire Department, and Canyon County Paramedics resulted in the apprehension of a dangerous individual while sparing the surrounding community and the suspect himself from serious injury or death. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of the neighborhood during this operation. Respect for human life is our guiding principle and we will always exhaust all resources and time necessary to apprehend a violent individual without resorting to deadly force.