Man arrested after lengthy standoff with Idaho Falls police
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The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department.
IDAHO FALLS — A man has been arrested on a variety of felony and misdemeanor charges after a standoff on Tuesday night.
The incident happened at about 9:15 p.m Officers responded to the area of Lincoln Drive and 1st Street for a report of a domestic dispute.
Officers spoke with a victim who said Colton Lopez was inside her home armed with knives and destroying things in the home.
The victim said Lopez had broken a window to get into the home and was violating an active no contact order. She also said that when she said she was going to call the police, Lopez attacked her and covered her mouth with his hand. The victim said she had to bite his hand to get away.
When officers arrived, Lopez ran back inside the residence. Lopez refused to come outside when directed to by officers and barricaded himself inside.
The Idaho Falls Police SWAT and Unmanned Aerial Systems Teams, and crisis negotiators responded to the scene.
Officers made many announcements using PA systems and crisis negotiators made contact with Lopez at different times by cell phone. Lopez was told he was under arrest but would not come out.
During a four-and-a-half-hour standoff special teams used flash bangs and a chemical irritant to encourage Lopez to exit, and various tools to gain visuals inside the residence.
Ultimately the SWAT team had to force entry into the residence. Lopez was found hiding inside the attic crawl space and was taken into custody.
Lopez, 25, was arrested for felony first degree stalking, felony malicious injury to property, felony burglary, misdemeanor domestic battery, misdemeanor resisting or obstructing officers, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and a violation of a no contact order.
Lopez was taken to the hospital briefly for a jail clearance and then booked into the Bonneville County Jail.