EL PASO COUNTY — Members of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team went to the 18000 block of Hwy 94 to locate Matthew Kalkman on Thursday afternoon.
According to the sheriff's office, Kalkman had multiple warrants, "including charges related to sexual assaults on children and failure to register as a sex offender."
When SWAT arrived, they asked anybody inside the house to exit. Police say one person listened and exited the house, but Kalkman barricaded himself inside.
Crisis negotiators attempted to talk with Kalkman, but they say he threatened to shoot them and blow them up. Negotiations continued for several hours.
Police say that Kalkman refused to surrender, so the SWAT team removed the front door and "deployed chemical irritants." Kalkman continued to yell at deputies, and police say he fired a gun inside the home several times.
One of the bullets hit an armored rescue vehicle that police were using for protection, and another bullet almost hit a deputy.
The team used a robot to communicate with Kalkman and prevent him from firing a gun, but police say he was able to grab the gun so the robot was removed.
Eventually, Kalkman surrendered and police detained him. He was transported to a hospital for treatment and evaluation.
Kalkman is being held in the El Paso County Jail on his existing warrants, and additional charges related to the stand-off.
“The bravery, professionalism, and restraint displayed by our deputies in this incident cannot be overstated. Their training, expertise, and the resources at their disposal played a critical role in bringing this situation to a safe resolution. This could have ended very differently, but thankfully no members of my Office were injured. I’m grateful for their unwavering commitment to protecting this community and for the teamwork which ensured a peaceful outcome.”
The sheriff's office says no deputies or community members were injured, and no deputies fired their guns.
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