Barnstead man arrested after threatening

By GAIL OBER, LACONIA DAILY SUN

BARNSTEAD — After allegedly threatening someone with a rifle at a family barbecue on July 5, a Province Road man was arrested for criminal threatening.

Paul E. Tasker, 39, of 640 Province Road was apprehended by a New Hampshire State Police SWAT team and the Barnstead Police after getting a warrant for his arrest.

Barnstead Police Prosecutor Anthony Estee said Tasker had been convicted of felony criminal threatening in 2010 in Belknap County Superior Court.

According to Estee, police obtained the arrest warrant at 4 a.m. on Thursday but didn't want to search for Tasker, who was staying in a tent in the woods until daylight.

Estee said police used a SWAT team because there area was very wooded and Tasker was alleged to have been armed and very familiar with the area. He said there was no struggle with police officers but police K-9s were first to locate him.

Tasker was staying in the tent with a woman and some children, said Estee, who said he didn't know if a weapon was recovered.

Tasker is charged with one count of felony criminal threatening with a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Barnstead. Pittsfield Police confirmed that Tasker had an outstanding warrant for a domestic violence-related incident and that they had been working with the Barnstead Police to get him into custody.

He is scheduled to appear in the Belknap County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. for arraignment.