Mesa County Sheriff has dispatched the SWAT team to the area of Phyllis Dr and 18 1/2 Road in Fruita. Exact details are currently unknown. A negotiation team has also been dispatched to talk to an individual barricaded inside of a residence.
From the Fruita Police Department:
FRUITA, Colo. – On April 8, 2025, at about 6:35 AM, the Fruita Police Department responded to a report of a verbal disturbance in the 1400 block of S. Gemini Circle. Upon arrival officers were able to determine the residence occupants, but they were unsuccessful in getting any response from the occupants. Additional information came into the dispatch center that a female victim asking for help, did not feel safe, and was not being allowed to leave the residence by a known male suspect – James Dupree, 42 years of age, from Fruita.
Dupree initially refused to exit the residence, and with the assistance of the Mesa County SHERIFF’S Office and Grand Junction Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, he was taken into custody around 11:12 AM. During the incident, a shelter in place notice was sent to approximately 732 contacts.
Dupree is currently in the Mesa County Detention Facility on 5 outstanding warrants for his arrest, as well as new charges from this morning including:
- Initiating a witness or victim, a Class 3 Felony
- False Imprisonment, a Class 5 Felony
- Assault in the 3rd Degree, a Class 1 Misdemeanor
- Failure to Refrain from Leaving Premises or Property Upon Request of a Peace Officer, a Class 2 Misdemeanor
- Domestic Violence Enhancer
Photos by Kayla P. via Facebook