Overnight update from Seattle Police:
Seattle Police successfully negotiate the peaceful surrender of a man involved in a domestic disturbance.
At approximately 3:46 p.m. officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 9500 block of 15th Avenue NE. Preliminary investigation indicates that the adult male suspect, who lives at the residence with his parents, threatened to inflict great harm upon his parent’s property and also expressed suicidal intentions. Responding officers quickly surrounded the residence, evacuated the parents and attempted to contact the suspect. Although the suspect was believed to be the only one inside the residence at that point, he was believed to be in possession of weapons.
When officers attempts to contact the suspect or get him to come outside were unsuccessful, negotiators and the SWAT team were called to the scene.
Negotiators were able to establish contact with the suspect and arrange for his peaceful surrender without further incident. The suspect came outside and was taken into custody. He was subsequently transported to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation.
The incident report will be forwarded to the prosecuting attorney’s office for a review of potential charges.
Original post
Over the last hour numerous police cars have prowled through Maple Leaf’s streets, and now they’ve gathered at 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 95th Street.
It is apparently a man alone in a home. Negotiators have been called. Earlier he may have had an argument with his parents, who also live there, police said.
Here’s a series of recent Tweets from Seattle Police:
David, I like your comment. I`m sorry that I hadn`t read it until now.
Was the 95 y.o man armed?
True, just ask that 95 year old man that the police killed in the old folks home recently.
The report was that he was armed. If he started spraying bullets and SWAT wasn’t on the scene, chances are the first three posters would have asked, “Why wasn’t SWAT immediately called.”
David
Ask any law enforcement person as to what is THE most dangerous situation and they will tell you ‘domestic calls’. All of those men and women responding to that incident want to be able to leave work and see their loved ones when their day is done.
Dear neighbors, It is easy to look on this situation in hindsight and say; the police should have done this…, How did they know that the man hadn`t obtained an AK47, or pipe bombs, or whatever, and was laying in wait for the police? Would you be willing to simply walk up to the door and call him out? Statistically, domestic disputes are violent.All the complaining we do to the police, no wonder they either over react, or under react. They are damned if they do, and damned if they don`t.
Paramilitary police are beginning to scare me more than the criminals.
I was shocked to see the swat team vans and armored car–well after the tweet about it being a single man, alone in a home. Why so many, so armored? Not inspiring confidence in SPD’s capability of defusing a situation. Instead, making all too real the reports of excessive force and escalating responses.
I’d love to hear more about why this display of force was chosen, and what other methods were used, first. I live a block away; it would be difficult for them to find a safe angle to shoot that couldn’t put a hole through a neighbor’s house (or neighbor).