Update: Tacoma Narrows Bridge open after 4-hour closure during police response

Update as of 12:40 a.m.: Police safely took the man into custody and the bridge is open again, Correa said about 12:40 a.m. Sunday.

The man violated a domestic violence no contact order in Tacoma and made statements that he was going to harm himself on the bridge, Correa said. The man allegedly pointed a gun at an officer when police responded to the bridge. That’s when police involved SWAT and crisis negotiators, Correa said.

He said officers evaluated the scene, got the man on the phone, and negotiated with him for 90 minutes before they took him into custody. No one was hurt and no shots were fired, Correa said.

Update as of 12:05 a.m.: State Patrol Trooper Kameron Watts told The News Tribune just after midnight Sunday morning that troopers and WSDOT’s Incident Response Team are about to start diverting drivers stuck in the backup off of state Route 16 by using the turnarounds in the median.

Update: State Patrol Trooper Kameron Watts told The News Tribune about 11:30 p.m. Saturday that he does not have an estimate of when the bridge will reopen. “This situation does involve firearms, which makes this a more critical incident impacting the closure as our resources attempt to resolve it,” he said in a text message.

Watts confirmed in a phone call that no shots have been fired, and that no one has been injured. He said the State Patrol is responding jointly with the Tacoma Police Department.

Tacoma Police spokesperson Sgt. John Correa confirmed about 11:45 p.m. that there is a man in crisis who is armed with a handgun.

“Our main concern is everyone’s safety, because there is an armed subject on the bridge and we don’t want anyone hurt, to include himself,” Correa said.

WSDOT posted about 11:30 p.m. on social media that the entrance ramp from 24th Street Northwest to SR 16 is also closed. The exit ramp to Jackson Avenue remains closed, and traffic must use the exit to 36th Street.

Initial post: Crews closed the eastbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge on Saturday night due to a law enforcement response, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation and the State Patrol.

WSDOT first posted about the incident on social media about 8:30 p.m. and said the right lane was blocked. The agency posted an update soon after that said: “Road is closed. The exit ramp to Jackson Ave is closed. Traffic must exit to 36th St.” About 10:45 p.m. the agency posted a comment that said there was no estimate for when the road will reopen.

“WSP and multiple other agencies are on scene at EB SR-16 at the Narrows Bridge handling a critical incident involving a suicidal subject,” Washington State Patrol spokesperson Kameron Watts posted on social media about 9 p.m. “This is a serious matter and we ask for your patience during the road closure. Negotiations are in progress.”

Watts posted about 10:30 p.m. “We understand the frustration for those in the traffic jam. However, we need people to stay at their vehicles and to not roam around. The risk factors in this situation are very high. Please stay at your vehicles!”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This story was originally published July 18, 2026 at 11:24 PM.