Greenfield Man, On Parole, Arrested After Manchester SWAT Standoff

MANCHESTER, NH — A Manchester police officer working a construction detail was approached by a man who reported another man had threatened him with a gun.

Officers responded to 261 West Hancock St., where the incident reportedly occurred. Through the course of the investigation, the suspect was identified as Elias Dawley, 28 of Greenfield.

The victim said he had gotten into an altercation with Dawley inside a first-floor bedroom and accused Dawley pointing a gun at him. The victim was able to run from the building. However, Dawley was believed to still be inside, along with several other people, police said.

Officers set up a perimeter and attempted to contact the people inside. Several people exited the building but Dawley did not. SWAT officers responded to assist and commands were made for Dawley to come outside, but he refused to exit.

SWAT officers used a robot and drone to locate Dawley in the basement of the residence. Dawley continued to refuse to leave and SWAT officers, and a K-9 and handler, went inside and found Dawley well hidden in a crawl space. He remained uncooperative with officers, and the K-9 was used to safely take him into custody.

AMR Ambulance who was staging in the area was requested to the scene. AMR Personnel and an MPD Officer transported Dawley to the hospital with what was described over the ambulance radio transmission as a K-9 bite to the arm.

Dawley was arrested and charged with criminal threatening, attempted armed robbery, and resisting arrest.

It was also determined that Dawley had several outstanding warrants including a parole violation stemming from an aggravated assault charge, a robbery charge out of Nashua, and two electronic bench warrants.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news