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A Dover Plains man, Richard Danko, was arrested following a standoff with police on New Year's Day in Dutchess County. The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a person being threatened with a shotgun at 16 Old State Route 22 just after 6 a.m. Danko, 36, allegedly refused to cooperate with officers and barricaded himself inside a residence, leading to a standoff that lasted approximately six hours.
According to the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, Danko was wanted on a warrant for reckless endangerment from a previous incident. During the standoff, members of the Emergency Services Unit entered the residence and took Danko into custody without further incident.
Danko is charged with felony criminal possession of a weapon, bail jumping, criminal contempt, menacing, and resisting arrest. He was arraigned in the Town of Dover Justice Court and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail on $10,000 cash bail. The charges related to the standoff were filed after his initial arraignment.
The standoff involved numerous personnel and units, including patrol deputies, detectives, crisis negotiators, K-9 units, and drone units. The New York State Police, J.H. Ketcham Hose Company, and the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response assisted at the scene.
As with any criminal case, the charges against Danko are accusations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.