Challis man arrested after weekend standoff allegedly wore body armor, had AR-15 style rifle 

CHALLIS — A Challis man who was arrested complete nan play pursuing a standoff astatine his location allegedly answered nan doorway for deputies by wearing assemblage armor and holding an AR-15-style rifle, tribunal documents said.

Curtis Lee Caton, 47, is being held connected a $1 cardinal bond. According to tribunal records, he has been charged pinch felony unlawful discharge of a firearm, felony battle pinch nan intent to perpetrate murder, felony malicious wounded to property, and misdemeanor resisting aliases obstructing officers. 

He had an first quality astatine tribunal successful Custer County Tuesday. He appeared via Zoom and is presently being held successful nan Lemhi County Jail successful Salmon.  

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What happened

According to an affidavit of probable origin revenge by nan Custer County Sheriff’s Office, connected Saturday, May 11, astatine 10 p.m., 3 kids were successful a distant area of Custer County known arsenic Bradbury Flat. The kids drove past a knoll, wherever they saw a Toyota Tacoma motortruck and a campfire. 

A man — later identified arsenic Caton — fired a weapon respective times successful nan area, causing nan kids to judge they were being changeable at. They reported to deputies that they were frightened of being shot. 

According to a news release, nan parents of nan juveniles went to an area wherever they recovered nan Toyota Tacoma but were met pinch gunfire from Caton into their vehicle. The rounds penetrated nan interior of nan vehicle, astir hitting nan occupants. There were nary reported injuries, a Custer County news merchandise said. 

The standoff

Law enforcement attempted to interaction Caton astatine his location connected Summit Circle aft 12:50 a.m. to get specifications astir what happened.

Caton reportedly answered nan doorway wearing assemblage armor and held an AR-15-style firearm wherever he told Sheriff Levi Maydole thing to nan effect of “this is really it is now,” motioning pinch his manus and referring to his firearm and assemblage armor, tribunal documents said. 

Caton past kicked nan doorway shut.  

His woman was safely evacuated from nan location on pinch a 23-year-old woman.

Deputies created a perimeter astir nan residence while assistance was requested from nan Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T. team. The STAR squad besides responded pinch further unit and resources arsenic negotiations continued done nan morning, nan merchandise said. 

Caton was yet taken into custody connected Sunday, May 12, aft astir six hours of negotiation. He surrendered peacefully. 

Search warrant and investigation

Court documents said nan campsite and occurrence location successful nan area of Bradbury Flat was located by rule enforcement and respective 10mm ammunition casings were recovered, corroborating nan communicative from nan kids. 

Several items of grounds were recovered owed to a hunt warrant. The items see 8 spent ammunition casings, 1 unrecorded 10mm cartridge connected nan crushed adjacent nan driver-side rider doorway of nan Toyota Tacoma pickup, and a 10mm handgun pinch a greenish laser aiming instrumentality and loaded magazines recovered from wrong of Caton’s home. 

Deputies interviewed Caton’s wife, who said she and her hubby were astatine a location successful nan godforsaken southbound of Challis, and they had a campfire. She said they had firearms pinch them but she reported that she was unsure of which ones. 

She said a conveyance approached them, and she felt arsenic if they were being “creepy.” She did not elaborate connected why aliases how, tribunal documents said. She said she sewage successful nan rider broadside of nan motortruck they were successful and drove away. She was unsure if her hubby had fired a weapon and rule enforcement reported she showed signs of intoxicant intoxication.

What’s next 

In a news merchandise connected Thursday, Sheriff Maydole thanked his squad and nan further resources that came and helped during nan standoff. 

“I americium thankful we were capable to scope a serene solution without immoderate nonaccomplishment of life aliases superior wounded successful our community,” Maydole said successful nan release. “This is simply a awesome illustration of nan request for beardown moving relationships and continued collaboration pinch our section and location rule enforcement partners who tin assistance rural counties such arsenic ours…”

Caton is scheduled for a preliminary proceeding connected May 28 astatine 8 a.m. 

Though Caton has been charged pinch these crimes, it does not needfully mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed guiltless until they are proven guilty.

The investigation remains ongoing, and location is imaginable for further charges, nan Custer County Sheriff’s Office said.