On February 27, at approximately 3:00 PM, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team responded to the 18000 block of Highway 94 in unincorporated El Paso County to locate 62-year-old Matthew Kalkman. Kalkman had multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest, including charges related to sexual assaults on children and failure to register as a sex offender.
Upon arrival, deputies made announcements instructing all occupants to exit the residence. A family member complied and was escorted to safety. However, Kalkman barricaded himself inside and refused to surrender.
Crisis negotiators established contact with Kalkman, who made threats to shoot deputies and blow them up. Negotiations continued for several hours in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully.
When Kalkman refused to surrender, SWAT personnel removed the front door and deployed chemical irritants to encourage his exit. He stepped outside multiple times and yelled at deputies but quickly retreated inside. During the standoff, Kalkman discharged a firearm from inside the residence several times. One time striking an armored rescue vehicle which deputies were using to provide protection and narrowly missing a deputy in a containment position on a separate discharge.
A robot was deployed into the residence to assist in communication and assess the situation. While inside, the robot covered a firearm, attempting to prevent further access to it by Kalkman. Kalkman was eventually able to retrieve it from under the robot. The robot was also used to safely remove another firearm from the residence.
After prolonged negotiations and tactical efforts, Kalkman surrendered and was taken into custody. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation.
No deputies or uninvolved members of the community were injured during the incident and no deputies discharged their firearms.
Kalkman was booked into the El Paso County Jail on his existing warrants, with additional charges pending related to this incident.
“The bravery, professionalism, and restraint displayed by our deputies in this incident cannot be overstated. Their training, expertise, and the resources at their disposal played a critical role in bringing this situation to a safe resolution. This could have ended very differently, but thankfully no members of my Office were injured. I’m grateful for their unwavering commitment to protecting this community and for the teamwork which ensured a peaceful outcome.” – Sheriff Joseph Roybal.
We extend our gratitude to the Colorado Springs Police Department for providing personnel, armored vehicles and other essential equipment which contributed to the safe resolution of this situation. We would also like to thank the Ellicott Fire Department, Colorado Springs Fire Department, and American Medical Response for their assistance.
No booking photograph is available at this time.