Durham police confront sex offender who fired fireworks during early-morning standoff

Durham police attempted to pull over Rory Robertson, a 46-year-old registered sex offender, shortly after 6 a.m. when he left his Durham residence. Instead of complying, he fled, entered a house and fortified the location, ignoring repeated commands. He then aimed and discharged a variety of fireworks, including a large shell that exploded near a police cruiser, leading officials to issue a shelter-in-place advisory for the surrounding neighborhood.

After more than two hours, officers deployed pepper-ball rounds, forcing Robertson to exit; he was treated for minor injuries and transported to the Strafford County House of Corrections. He remains wanted on several warrants, including breach of bail and theft, and now faces additional counts of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and criminal threatening. The incident follows a 2009 felony sex-assault conviction and a pending competency hearing for alleged 2024 stalking and assault offenses.