DOVER, N.H. (WHDH) — A man who New Hampshire Police said stole a rifle Friday morning and barricaded himself inside an apartment building was arrested following an hours-long standoff with a heavily-armed SWAT team.
Police responded at around 5 a.m. to the Whittier Falls Apartments on Pleasant View Circle after learning that the rifle-wielding suspect had broken into a a vacant apartment building, officials said.
Police said officers used “flash bang” grenades and tear gas in an effort to force suspect Richard Nelson out of the residence.
“It was just one big bang. And there was a bunch of popping noises,” one resident said.
Homes in the area of Mineral Park Drive and Pleasant View Circle were evacuated for safety reasons as negotiations spent all morning trying to coax Nelson out of the building.
Nelson surrendered to police around 12 p.m. and was taken into custody, seven hours into the standoff. Nelson is being held behind bars pending an arraignment Monday morning.
No one was injured in the standoff.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)