New Hampshire Sex Offender Fires Fireworks at Police in Standoff

A New Hampshire sex offender accused of running from police on Monday morning was arrested after an hours-long standoff in Durham that turned dangerous when he allegedly fired fireworks at officers and a patrol car. Rory Robertson, 46, was taken into custody after police said he ignored repeated commands, barricaded himself in a house, and then came out and rushed toward officers before being subdued with non-lethal PepperBall rounds.

Police said the confrontation began around 6 a.m. after Robertson left his home and officers tried to stop him on several outstanding warrants. Instead of pulling over, authorities said, he fled and took cover inside a nearby house. Durham police said the situation quickly escalated once Robertson refused to comply with commands from officers on the scene.

While inside the home, police said, Robertson began aiming and shooting fireworks at officers and a patrol car outside. One large shell-style firework reportedly came close to striking an officer before exploding underneath a police cruiser. The use of fireworks in the standoff turned the encounter into a serious public safety event, since the devices can cause burns, impact injuries and fires, particularly when used in close proximity to people and vehicles.

The confrontation prompted police to issue a shelter-in-place request for nearby residents as the standoff continued. Such requests are typically used in situations where there is a risk to the public and officers need time and space to bring an armed or unpredictable incident under control. In this case, police said the scene remained active for more than two hours before Robertson exited the house a little after 8 a.m.