Details Emerge In Dubuque Standoff

By Katie Wiedemann, Reporter

Tools

By Jaime Sharer

Story Created: Jan 24, 2012 at 12:06 AM CDT

Story Updated: Jan 26, 2012 at 11:57 AM CDT

DUBUQUE, Iowa - New details are emerging about the Dubuque man involved in a weekend stand-off with police. That stand-off started Saturday evening. After more than seven hours of negotiating, police busted into a home in the 300 block of Kaufmann Avenue.

Inside, they found Blaine Wright, 22, dead from a self inflicted gun shot wound. At the time of his death on Sunday, Wright should have been serving time in a work release program.

Last October, Wright was sentenced to serve time at the Elm Street Correctional Center. In late November, Wright signed out of that center on a work release, but he did not return.

According to the Iowa Department of Corrections Wright was recently convicted of 3rd degree theft and interference with officials acts. Court records show he assaulted a police officer.

Fast forward to Saturday night, and to a situation police feared could be dangerous.

Dubuque Police Chief Mark Dalsing said, “We had some intelligence that there were weapons involved, either with the residence or with him. ”

Police came to his front door with an arrest warrant Saturday night. Investigators say Wright tried to escape through the back door, but found police had the home surrounded.

Dalsing said, “Initially we were trying to get him through the door. Then we has access to a phone number for him and tried to get ahold of him by phone. ”

During the next four hours police used a mega phone to try to convince Wright to surrender. Next, officers sprayed tear gas into the house. Eventually police found Wright dead inside the home. They did not hear the gun shots.

Dalsing said, “If you look at the caliber of the weapon and the lay out of the house and everything else that’s going on there are a lot of other variables that go into it. “