Cornish man taken into custody after vandalism spree and 24-hour standoff

Jon Rogers tries to comfort K9 partner Gunther at Scarborough Animal Hospital early Friday (YCSO photo)

CORNISH, Maine - A tense standoff in Cornish ended with the arrest of a 66-year-old man who had vandalized a neighbor's property before holing up in his house for almost 24 hours.
Amid attempts to take Edward Kalinoski, 66, of 68 Spur Road, into custody when police thought he was unarmed, he produced a knife and slashed K9 Gunther, who is recovering from his wounds.
The incident unfolded on Thursday around 6:45 a.m. when York County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the area of 68 Spur Road for a disturbance.
It had been reported that Kalinoski utilized a utility tractor to damage his neighbor's home, and slashed the neighbor's tires with a large knife. During these actions, Kalinoski was observed to be armed with what appeared to be a handgun. It was initially believed that the incident was a result of a landscaping disagreement, however, further information indicated that the incident was unprovoked.
Responding deputies arrived on the scene and attempted to make contact with Kalinoski, but he was uncooperative and retreated into his residence.
Due to the nature of prior police contacts with Kalinoski the Southern Maine Special Response Team was contacted and responded to the scene to manage tactical operations. Crisis negotiators and mental health first responders were deployed with team in a front-line capacity.
The York County Sheriff's Office obtained an arrest warrant for Kalinoski for charges including reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, criminal threatening, criminal mischief, and refusal to submit to arrest or detention. A search warrant for Kalinoski's residence was also obtained.
The SMSRT tea,, supported by the Cumberland County Emergency Services Unit contained Kalinoski, while exhaustive efforts were expended to communicate with him. When these efforts were not productive, personnel utilized various nonlethal means to apprehend Kalinoski. York Police Department canine team Sgt. Jon Rogers and K9 Gunther attempted to subdue Kalinoksi at a point in time when he appeared to be unarmed, but Kalinoski grabbed a knife and stabbed Gunther in the rear left leg and rear inner right leg. Gunther was transported to the Scarborough Animal Hospital where he was treated and released.
Additional steps were taken to subdue Kalinoski by less lethal means, which required some targeted dismantling of portions of the structure to introduce chemical munitions and establish an effective dialogue. Kalinoski was observed multiple times to be armed with edged and improvised weapons. Around 6:30 a.m. on Friday, almost 24 hours after the incident began, Kalinoski left the house armed with what was later determined to be a replica firearm and was apprehended. He was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
In addition to the mental health professional and the crisis negotiators who were on scene, this incident was resolved with the contributions of the following agencies: York County Sheriff's Office, Maine State Police, Southern Maine Special Response Team, Cumberland County Emergency Services Unit, Maine State Police Tactical Team, York County Emergency Management Agency, Sacopee Rescue, and the Limerick Fire Department.