Blow torch said central to standoff between Belmont man and police

BELMONT — Police are holding a local man on $50,000 cash bail after he allegedly threatened them with a blow torch and tried to burn down his home.

Local police said they went to arrest Brandon Dunn, 30, of 791 Laconia Road for one count of alleged domestic violence at about 6 p.m. Sunday night when they saw a chair burning on his front lawn and some fire inside the house.

Police called the fire department and entered the house and allegedly saw Dunn who was told he was under arrest. They said he picked up the blow torch and came toward the police officers.

According to Lt. Dave Perkins of the Belknap County Sheriff's Department, the Belknap County Special Operations Group was activated and by about 7:30 p.m. Belmont, Laconia and BRSOG police had the house surrounded.

Perkins said it appeared that Dunn tried to light his house on fire but was unsuccessful.

Perkins said they repeatedly tried to make contact with Dunn and about midnight shot some cans of tear gas into the home.

He said they found Dunn hiding in the attic under some insulation and that he went with them without further ado.

Perkins said police found no guns in the house.

Seven-hundred ninety-one Laconia Road is north of Belmont Village and one woman who was trying to get to Meredith from the south said she and her family were re-routed onto Perkins Drive.

Yet others headed south reported being re-routed toward Seavey Road.

Belmont Police said Dunn faces one count of simple assault-domestic violence — the reason police were trying to arrest him in the first place — and charges of resisting arrest and criminal threatening for the actions he allegedly took after police arrived.

According to news reports, in February of 2011, Dunn pleaded guilty to two counts of violating an order of protection in January and was sentenced to one year in jail — suspended on good behavior — on the first and six months in jail — suspended on good behavior — for the second.