Rexburg Police respond to mental health crisis at local hotel

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — A local hotel was evacuated Wednesday morning after reports of a man threatening guests with a firearm triggered a heavy police response. The incident ended peacefully when investigators with the Rexburg Police Department determined the man was unarmed and was undergoing a mental health crisis.

Officers from the Rexburg Police Department and deputies with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office were called to the hotel around 7:04 AM on January 14. According to a Rexburg Police Facebook post, the officers quickly established a perimeter and began an immediate evacuation of nearby rooms.

After securing the area, law enforcement spoke with the man and took him into custody without further incident. In a subsequent search of his hotel room, investigators found no firearms and that the man had been alone.

Police determined the man was alone and experiencing a significant mental health crisis and took him to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

In a statement posted to social media, the Rexburg Police Department expressed their thanks for the guest's patience during the high-stress situation.

"We want to thank the unsuspecting hotel guests in neighboring rooms for their cooperation so we could make the scene safe," said Rexburg PD in the post.