UPDATE 3:47 PM: The King County sheriff's deputy who barricaded himself in an apartment off Belmont Avenue during a 13-hour standoff with a SWAT team has been safely apprehended by Seattle Police, a spokesperson said.
The suspect will be booked at King County Jail on two felonies, according to Det. Patrick Michaud, a spokesperson for the Seattle Police Department. He sustained minor injuries, including cuts on his hand, though it is still unclear how.
Seattle police officers have obtained a warrant to search the suspect's apartment for firearms “that we know are inside," Michaud said during an press conference near the scene of the standoff.
Police arrived at the apartment shortly after receiving a call reporting a domestic violence assault at about 1:30 a.m. Pepper spray was involved, Michaud said, but did not elaborate. Officers pulled back after getting information that the suspect had firearms. They breached several doors using small explosives before eventually finding the suspect in a bathroom. They also used a robot to look inside the apartment.
UPDATE 11 AM: Seattle Police Department Detective Patrick Michaud told reporters police got to the scene in response to a domestic violence assault report at 1:30 am. The suspect had "barricaded himself inside his apartment and we've kind of been at a stalemate ever since." Michaud said police expect the standoff may last “a few more hours.” Residents of the building have been asked to clear the area. Michaud said the suspect is talking back to police and there is “some conversation.” There is no one else in the apartment, he said, but there is a “possibility there might be guns in the apartment.” Capitol Hill Seattle Blog provided video of the media briefing here.
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Original story:
A Seattle Police Department SWAT team is negotiating with a King County sheriff’s deputy who has barricaded himself in an apartment on Belmont Avenue, according to a spokesperson.
Police received a report of a domestic violence-related assault at the apartment at 1:30 a.m, according to Det. Patrick Michaud, a spokesperson for the Seattle Police Department. SWAT negotiators have been at the scene since early morning.
The suspect, who has been with the King County Sheriff's Office for two and a half years, has been on administrative leave since March pending an open investigation, according to Ryan Abbot, a spokesperson for the office.
At around 10:20 this morning, police could be heard asking the suspect to come out of the apartment with his hands in the air.
The sheriff’s office is not releasing the suspect’s name at this time.
A Seattle Times journalist reported that police used two flash bangs at the scene.
This is a developing story.
Heidi Groover contributed to this report.
