A registered sex offender is accused of launching fireworks at police during a two-hour standoff in Durham, New Hampshire. Rory Robertson, 46, allegedly refused to stop when officers attempted to pull him over at around 6am on Monday, August 10, after he left his home.
According to police accounts, Robertson fled the scene and barricaded himself inside a nearby house. Once inside, he allegedly launched a pyrotechnic assault on law enforcement, targeting officers and a marked patrol car outside.
Firework narrowly misses officer
Investigators claim the barrage included a 'large shell style firework' that narrowly missed an officer before exploding directly underneath a police cruiser. The explosive hazard forced authorities to issue an urgent shelter-in-place order for nearby residents.
The siege ended shortly after 8am when Robertson emerged from the property. Officers report he rushed at them before allegedly being brought down by a volley of non-lethal pepper ball rounds. No officers were injured in the incident.
Charges and prior conviction
Robertson was treated for minor injuries before being transferred to Strafford County House of Corrections. Force chiefs noted he had been given multiple opportunities to turn himself in prior to the standoff.
In addition to existing warrants for breach of bail, violation of bail conditions and theft, he now faces new charges including reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and criminal threatening. Court records confirm Robertson was convicted of a felony sex assault in 2009, and is due to face a competency hearing in October. Those proceedings relate to separate stalking and sexual assault charges allegedly committed in 2024.
