By Hayden Seder
A tense standoff in a Picabo park between a man with a handgun and 18 law enforcement agents Friday ended peacefully with the individual’s arrest after three hours of negotiations.
The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office got a call just after 10 a.m. Nov. 16 about a man outside the Silver Creek Convenience Store with a gun. Numerous officers from several locales were dispatched to the scene. They arrived to find 29-year-old Dillon Dugger, of Twin Falls, in a small park across the street from the store. State Highway 20 was subsequently closed for the public’s safety.
Over the next several hours Dugger and authorities exchanged words, with law enforcement officials ordering Dugger to put down his weapon.
“He did not comply with those demands, so for the next three hours they tried to speak with him and come up with a way to resolve the situation peacefully,” said Will Fruehling, chief deputy with Blaine County. “He failed to comply by putting the gun on the ground or dropping it, and at various times the handgun was visible.”
Deputies and officers from Idaho State Police, Bellevue Marshal’s Office, Sun Valley Police Department and Twin Falls Police Department assisted the Blaine County deputies in managing the situation without incident. Highway 20 was closed in both directions during this standoff for public safety.
“It was a pretty tense situation, and luckily was handled in an appropriate manner by the deputies and other officers on the scene,” said Fruehling. “Ultimately, around 1 p.m., the incident ended, with the suspect surrendering his weapon shortly after 1 p.m. and being taken into custody without any further incident.”
No one was injured in the incident and the charges against Dugger are pending at this time.
The Silver Creek Convenience Store declined to comment on the incident.
“This was a very tense situation,” said Blaine County Sheriff Steve Harkins. “We are thankful it ended peacefully for all involved. Blaine County is fortunate to have deputies trained and prepared to handle these situations successfully.”