Standoff subject showed little emotion upon arrest

James Brooks (Rochester Police photo)

ROCHESTER - When James Brooks exited an apartment building at 17 Winter St. after a three-hour standoff with police, his expression was emotionless, much like you see in his police mugshot.

There was no contrition, no defiance, pretty much nothing at all, said Rochester Police Capt. Jason Thomas who witnessed the surrender around 1:20 Tuesday afternoon.

Brooks, 33, and a transient with ties to the Ossipee area, was taken into custody on two bench warrants out of Strafford and Carroll counties and transported to Carroll County where he will face charges for not showing up at a scheduled court hearing.

Brooks, however, will face no charges for his three-hour standoff with police, during which a SWAT team mobilized and took over command and control of the standoff around noon.

"If we had had to go inside, there would have been charges, but since he came out voluntarily there won't be," Thomas said on Wednesday.

Pivotal to Brooks' surrender may have been an announcement by the tactical team commander inside a Bearcat armored vehicle in the driveway at 17 Winter St. shortly before Brooks walked out that notified him by bullhorn that an arrest warrant had been signed by a judge and that he was under arrest.

The incident began around 10:15 a.m. when a patrol officer spotted whom he believed was a wanted person who turned out to be Brooks walking on Winter Street. This male suspect then fled into 17 Winter St.

Rochester Police had previously received word from Ossipee Police that Brooks had made comments to the effect he would not be taken alive, would shoot any officer that tried arresting him, and that he had access to numerous firearms. Rochester Police had also received word that he frequented 17 Winter St.

Believing he was in Apartment 4, a perimeter was set up around the residence. Due to the threat potential, the Strafford County Regional Tactical Operations Unit was activated and responded.

Prior to the SWAT team's arrival, several Rochester Police officer approached the four-unit apartment building - two of which were vacant - and called for everyone to come out.

An individual from the other occupied apartment came out immediately, Thomas said, but the others stayed inside.

Soon after five individuals including three males and two females exited, leaving only Brooks inside.

Around 1:20 p.m., Brooks, himself, exited the building and was taken into custody without incident.

No other arrests were made, Thomas said.

He added that the concerted effort between Rochester Police officers and the regional SWAT team (which included several Rochester officers) went about as smoothly as could be imagined.

"It's definitely a job well done, from the SWAT team to the patrol officer who first saw him to the Rochester lieutenant who teamed with the SWAT commander till the resolution," Thomas said.