Caribou Man Arrested Following 8-Hour Standoff With Police

An armed standoff at a residence in Caribou that began late Friday afternoon ended early Saturday with the arrest of a 46-year-old man.

Caribou Police responded to the West Gate Road around 4:15 p.m. to a report that a man had threatened a woman with a gun, and two teenage boys were holding him down. When police arrived, the man had already barricaded himself in a bedroom with a weapon, according to Caribou Police Chief Michael Gahagan. Officers were able to get the woman and two boys out of the house to safety.

Maine State Police, Aroostook County Sheriff's Deputies, Limestone Police and members of Caribou Fire & Ambulance also responded the scene. After several hours of attempting to communicate with the man, the Maine State Police Tactical Team was called in.

At around 1:00 a.m. Saturday, State Police, assisted by a canine, were able to take 46-year-old Bobby Arsenault of Caribou into custody. Arsenault was transported to Cary Medical Center for treatment of dog bites, then taken to the Caribou Police Department where he was being held on Saturday.

Arsenault is charged with two counts of Criminal Threatening with a Dangerous Weapon, Creating a Police Standoff, and Violation of Conditional Release. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed, Gahagan said.

The West Gate Road and Thompson Road in Caribou were closed during the standoff for the safety of the public as well as the officers.