(Spirit Lake)– An armed stand-off between police and a man in a vehicle with a gun resulted in a portion of downtown Spirit Lake being cordoned off Thursday night.
Police say it all started shortly after 9:30 p.m. when they received a report of a man with a gun in a bar in the 700 block of Lake Street. Upon arriving, witnesses and patrons in the bar told authorities the man had left the establishment through a back door and went to his van.
Authorities tried to communicate with the man for about an hour as he was holed up in the vehicle. The Lakes Area Warrant Service Team and officers from other Dickinson county law enforcement agencies approached the van and were able to apprehend the suspect without incident.
The man is identified as 60-year-old Robert Craig Matthews of Estherville.
Matthews was charged with going armed with intent, a class “D” felony; and carrying weapons, an aggravated misdemeanor.
Spirit Lake police were assisted by the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, Okoboji, Arnolds Park, Milford and Lake Park Police Departments, the Iowa State Patrol and the Lakes Area Warrant Service Team.
Authorities thank all citizens who assisted officers in providing information.
