MEEKER | Residents in the area of county roads 13 and 36 (on the Mesa, south of Meeker) received a Reverse 911 alert early Sunday morning advising them to avoid the area after a male subject had barricaded himself in a residence Saturday night.
According to a press release from the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office, the subject “was reported to be exhibiting manic behavior and known to have outstanding warrants from another county.” Despite attempts to make contact with the subject, communication efforts were unsuccessful and the Garfield County SWAT Team was called in on Sunday morning.
Negotiators made contact with the subject by cell phone around 10:30 a.m. Sunday and after approximately 2.5 hours of negotiation, he was safely apprehended without further incident.
Officials emphasized that there was no immediate threat to public safety, but given the subject’s behavior and refusal to cooperate with law enforcement, the situation was “treated with heightened caution.”
In a coordinated multi-agency response, assistance was provided to the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office by the Meeker Police Department, Meeker Fire/Rescue, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, and the Garfield County SWAT Team.