Wanted man barricades self in home, then surrenders

By KATY SAVAGE
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CHARLESTOWN — A man who was wanted by authorities in Vermont for about a year was arrested in New Hampshire Tuesday after he barricaded himself inside a home on River Street. 

There was a warrant out on Joel Royce-Blaine, 29, in Vermont for violating a probation following a domestic assault charge in February 2017, police said. 

He was arrested in Charlestown after police were called to his mother’s house around 8 a.m. Tuesday after Royce-Blaine allegedly made suicidal comments to his girlfriend, police said. 

When police arrived at the home, Royce-Blaine fled to an upstairs bedroom, according to a police affidavit. 

Charlestown Police Chief Patrick Connors followed him, he said. Royce-Blaine began yelling at the police and said he had a gun, according to the affidavit. 

Charlestown police and a number of other agencies, including Claremont police, Walpole police, the Sullivan County Sherriff’s Office and New Hampshire State Police barricaded the house. Connors said police remained outside the home and spoke with Royce-Blaine on the telephone for two hours. Royce-Blaine refused to come out, police said. 

“At one point he agreed to come out if I had the other officers on scene back away,” Connors wrote in his affidavit. “After I had the officers back away, he still did not come out.” 

Royce-Blaine told police that since he was wanted out of Vermont, he would surrender if a Vermont officer arrived on scene, police said. After a Springfield, Vermont officer arrived, Royce-Blaine initially declined to come out, police said. 

“After two hours, he came out peacefully,” Connors said. 

Connors said in the affidavit that he and another officer arrested Royce-Blaine at the front door of the home but Royce-Blaine started to resist. 

“Once he learned that he was not being brought back to Vermont he began to physically resist to where he had to be forced into the back seat of the cruiser,” Connors wrote in the affidavit. 

Royce-Blaine was charged with resisting arrest and transported to Sullivan County Jail. He’s being held with no bail. Connors said Vermont would extradite him. 

Connors said Royce-Blaine has long been a resident in Charlestown. 

Connors said he encountered Royce-Blaine about a dozen times over the years in cases, including theft. 

“Joel is well known for fleeing the police when he has been arrested in the past,” Connors said in his affidavit.