Snipers, drones, tear gas. UP neighborhood disrupted during DV standoff
Pierce County prosecutors have accused a 43-year-old University Place man of threatening to kill law enforcement during an hours-long standoff at his home last week that blocked nearby streets and caused neighbors to evacuate.
Sheriff’s deputies and a SWAT team surrounded a two-story house in the 5400 block of 56th Street West during the June 3 incident, which stemmed from a domestic-violence dispute between the suspect and his wife.
The standoff began shortly before 11 p.m., and the suspect surrendered to law enforcement at about 3:40 a.m., not long after deputies fired tear gas and pepper balls through second-story windows. According to court documents, deputies also deployed a drone during their response, and SWAT snipers observed the suspect walking through his home while holding a pistol.
A negotiator texted with the suspect for about four hours and tried to call him 13 times, according to the probable cause document, which alleges the man threatened to kill the negotiator.
He also texted suicidal statements to multiple family members and told law enforcement he would burn his house down if they didn’t leave, according to police reports included in charging papers. Deputies warned neighbors about the threat at about 3 a.m. and gave them cover while they evacuated. The Fire Department also responded to the scene as a precaution.
Prosecutors charged the man June 5 with felony harassment for threats to the negotiator, fourth-degree domestic-violence assault, misdemeanor harassment, failure to obey law enforcement orders and obstructing a law enforcement officer. He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment hearing in Superior Court that afternoon. He was released from custody Monday on a $35,000 bail bond.
Deputies initially met the suspect’s wife at the University Place police station at about 10:34 p.m. According to a police report, the woman said her husband had been drinking heavily for the past several days and shoved her to the ground during an argument earlier in the night. She said she told him she would call the police, and her husband allegedly retrieved a handgun and threatened to shoot officers if they came to the house.
While deputies were interviewing the suspect’s wife, she received text messages from him that included threats to kill law enforcement, threats to kill himself and photos of destroyed property inside the home.
A SWAT officer then responded to see if the suspect’s car was still parked at his home. According to a police report, the officer deployed a drone and obtained the suspect’s license plate number from his Chevrolet Silverado.
While deputies staged in the area, the suspect loaded items into his Silverado and drove out of the neighborhood, going west on Cirque Drive. Deputies activated their lights and sirens to attempt a traffic stop, but the suspect continued driving and looped back toward his residence.
According to a police report, deputies and a police dog chased him into the garage, and he attempted to close the garage door on them. The suspect made it inside, and law enforcement backed off and surrounded the home.
Deputies blocked traffic at 54th Avenue Court West while they set up containment. According to a police report, deputies saw the suspect crawl into a closet near the front door and shut the door behind him. In texts to negotiators sent at midnight, the suspect reportedly claimed he had left the residence and was at a Safeway on Bridgeport Way.
“[The suspect] eventually texted me, upset, that he did nothing wrong and was being put in jail for having an argument with his wife,” a police report states. “[The suspect] followed the text up with two more texts stating, ‘Let’s play’ and ‘Hope your shift just started.’”
The suspect’s wife reportedly told deputies that the closet her husband was in had access to a crawlspace. Deputies then redeployed a drone to fly around the perimeter and locate any possible exits from the crawlspace.
At some point, the suspect came out of the closet, and a deputy staged at the rear of the home saw him go upstairs with a pistol. When he came back down, according to a police report, the suspect let one of his dogs out through a sliding door. The deputy made eye contact with the suspect and pointed a rifle at his chest. The suspect reportedly backed away slowly, shut the door, closed the blinds and walked away. Other deputies saw him return to the closet.
Deputies obtained a warrant to enter the residence, take the suspect into custody and seize firearms in the home. After the warrant was approved, according to a police report, deputies fired tear gas and pepper balls into second-story windows to discourage him from staying upstairs where he had a better vantage point.
Once the chemical agents began to saturate the residence, the suspect told the negotiator he was going to come out. He walked out of the front door with his hands up.
“This is absolutely ridiculous,” the suspect told deputies while he was handcuffed. “I know my wife has already told you guys to back off. This is crazy. This is a waste of tax dollars.”
