Felon with a Handgun Captured by SWAT: NHSP

BARNSTEAD, NH – New Hampshire State Police helped local police take custody of an alleged felon with a handgun in the eastern part of the state yesterday morning.

Paul E. Tasker Jr., 39, of Province Road in Barnstead, was arrested on July 7, 2016, and charged with felony criminal threatening with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, warrants, and other offenses.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire State Police. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

Earlier in the week, Tasker allegedly threatened a police officer with a firearm, according to the Concord Monitor, and after an investigation, the Barnstead Police Department issued a warrant for his arrest.

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Tasker was on the run since Wednesday afternoon. At around 4 a.m. yesterday, the NHSP SWAT team as well as Barnstead officers converged on Tasker at a friend’s home attempting to take him in to custody, according to NH1.com. At just before noon, Tasker surrendered without incident, according to Lt. Kevin Duffy of Troop E.

“The New Hampshire State Police and Barnstead Police Department appreciate the cooperation and understanding of the community during the process of resolving this incident,” Duffy said in a press statement. “Units that participated in this incident included New Hampshire State Police, Barnstead Police Department, and Barnstead Fire and Rescue.”

Tasker’s criminal history, according to reports online, is lengthy, including a cocaine dealing arrest, probation violations, domestic warrants out of Pittsfield, criminal cases in the capital region and the lakes region, and even Brevard County in Florida. In 2009, he was indicted on a felony criminal threatening charge for threatening to shoot up a bar in Barnstead.

Tasker was held at the Belknap County Jail until his arraignment this afternoon in superior court on the charges.