Suspect Being Held After Standoff

A high-drama scene unfolded on Thursday, Feb. 8, when the Kimball Police Department answered a disturbance call at 311 Cedar St. and followed up with an attempted arrest. The situation led to a standoff between law enforcement and a suspect in his home from morning until late evening.

The next day, the suspect called the Kimball County Sheriff's Office and talked with Sheriff Dave Hottell. They worked out a method for the suspect to be taken into custody. Later, Hottell showed up at the suspect's residence and took Nicholas King into custody.

King was charged with terroristic threats to another person, a Class 3A felony, two Class 1 misdemeanors – obstructing a peace officer and third-degree domestic assault.

He is being held in the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center.

The standoff started, according to the affidavit from Kimball Police Chief Jose Ruiz, when the police department "observed King in a white, 1999 Dodge pickup truck, single cab, no plate. King left his residence at 311 Cedar, circled the block, and immediately returned to his residence. Officers were able to get behind Nicholas and activated their emergency overhead lights. Nicholas went into the residence and slammed the door. Nicholas was told to come out of the residence, but he refused. Nicholas told officers on the scene he was not going to jail."

In the affidavit, the suspect is said to have sent text messages to the person who reported the case to police. One text read, "You tell the cops I am ready to fight or die so they better be ready."

Perimeter houses were notified of the ongoing situation and the police department requested them to leave their residence, although none complied.

Police Chief Ruiz asked the Nebraska State Patrol to assist and requested a negotiator. Eventually, a dozen and a half Nebraska State Patrol officers surrounded the Kimball residence for hours on Thursday.

At one point during the day, King was coaxed out of the residence while holding a small dog. The state patrol made demands, and King was non-compliant. The state patrol unleashed pepper balls on him, and he retreated back into the residence.

By late evening, the situation ended much like it started, back in the hands of Kimball Police Department.

Ruiz said, "We tried to talk him out as much as we could."

As the day went on, the State Patrol was required to do a threat assessment. Because King was considered a nonviolent threat, it was decided that the patrol would not carry out a dramatic entry. It was determined the threat was not significant enough for an entrance or a breach of the residence. Therefore, the patrol backed off, and local law enforcement monitored the residence throughout the night.

Ruiz stated, "Obviously, this is not something we like to see in the City of Kimball."