Lewiston man arrested after standoff

COEUR d’ALENE — Police arrested a Lewiston man after a standoff Sunday.

Ryan G. Covey, 34, was booked into the Kootenai County jail on charges of resisting and obstructing officers, as well as for a felony warrant, according to a news release.

Coeur d’Alene police received information that Covey, who was wanted on a warrant related to domestic violence and witness intimidation, was in the Riverstone area Sunday afternoon. A witness reportedly saw him enter a portable restroom near Atlas Waterfront Park.

Police arrived around 12:30 p.m., confirmed Covey was inside the restroom, secured the area and instructed him to come out, the news release said. Covey reportedly refused to do so.

SWAT officers responded to the scene “out of an abundance of caution,” police said, because they were told Covey had access to weapons and was frequently armed.

After unsuccessful efforts to convince Covey to leave the restroom, SWAT officers deployed tear gas into the restroom.

“Eventually, Covey began to exit but he was not cooperative or responsive to commands,” the news release said.

As a result, police deployed a K-9.

Police arrested Covey and took him to Kootenai Health, where he was treated for minor injuries. He was then transported to jail, where he remains on $150,000 bail.

In early January, Covey was arrested on charges of domestic battery in the presence of a child, a felony, after he allegedly hit a household member and caused a bloody injury. A judge entered a no-contact order between Covey and the person he allegedly battered.

Prosecutors later amended the case to include five counts of violating a no-contact order, as well as attempting to violate a no-contact order and intimidating a witness. Covey called the subject of the no-contact order more than 400 times from jail, prosecutors said, and allegedly pressured her to tell prosecutors he didn’t batter her.

Covey pleaded guilty in December to abuse of a vulnerable adult, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The charge stems from October 2023, according to court records, when Kootenai Health staff observed Covey repeatedly disconnect a hospitalized family member from a ventilator.

Staff also found a flush syringe containing an unidentified substance screwed into the patient’s IV line and told police they suspected Covey had put it there, though he denied the accusation.

When questioned by police, Covey admitted to disconnecting the ventilator and indicated he believed the patient wanted him to do it.

Covey is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 29.