Man in custody, booked into jail following 5-hour incident in Idaho Falls
Published at | Updated at
UPDATE
IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls man was taken into custody after a five-hour standoff with police Sunday morning.
Nathan Blackburn, 41, was arrested for felony stalking, felony burglary and violating a civil protection order.
Blackburn is suspected of breaking into his former girlfriend’s home on the 1200 block of Bluebird Lane around 5 a.m., according to Idaho Falls Police spokeswoman Jessica Clements. He then returned to his house on Bellin Road.
Nobody was in the former girlfriend’s home at the time of the break-in but a burglar alarm alerted police. Clements tells EastIdahoNews.com that Blackburn has knowledge and experience with explosives and, out of an abundance of caution, a robocall was issued to nearby residents and areas surrounding Bluebird Lane and Bellin Road were locked down. The SWAT team and at least two dozen police officers were called to the scene.
Officers communicated with Blackburn for hours and a crisis negotiator was brought in. He was eventually arrested and taken to the Bonneville County Jail around 10:20 a.m.
Blackburn has a criminal history and was charged last year in Bonneville County with domestic battery, telephone harassment and malicious injury to property. He was also arrested in 2012 after he reportedly pointed a gun at his wife and another man when he caught the two kissing.
ORIGINAL STORY
IDAHO FALLS — Authorities are responding to an “active situation” on the 1200 block of Bluebird Lane Sunday morning.
The exact nature of the incident is unknown but it began around 5 a.m. and the local SWAT team, along with at least two dozen police officers, are on scene.
Surrounding roads have been blocked, and police are asking residents within a quarter mile of the area to stay in their homes and shelter in place, Idaho Falls Police spokeswoman Jessica Clements said. A robocall was issued to nearby residents.
Authorities are also asking others to avoid the area until the matter is resolved.
EastIdahoNews.com will update this article as more details are released.
