BURIEN, Wash — SWAT officers stormed a Burien sporting goods store where a man was hiding inside after driving a minivan through the storefront in an attempt to steal hunting rifles Tuesday.
Among the items sold in the store are firearms and ammunition. Deputies said the gun case was broken into and the burglar had been loading up guns to take.
An agent with the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told KIRO 7 that 14 weapons were found in or around the vehicle.
Because of the suspect's extensive criminal history, an ATF official said he would face federal prosecution.
The King County Sheriff's Office tweeted about the burglary at the Big 5 sporting goods store Tuesday morning, saying someone was believed to be inside the building.
The minivan drove into the store sometime after 6:30 a.m.
He rammed the front door, and drove all the way to the gun section.
The minivan became high-centered on stairs near the front entrance as he tried to back out.
"It tells me he's not in his complete right mind," said King County Sheriff's Sgt. DB Gates. "If you're going to commit a burglary and want to use stealth this is not the way to do it."
Gates said the suspect appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
As of early Tuesday evening, he was under guard in the hospital and had not yet been booked into jail.
After burglar alarms sounded, deputies responded and a standoff began. SWAT officers were stationed in various location on top of and around the building, and an armored vehicle was positioned at the front of the store.
Because the suspect may have been armed, SWAT members took their time negotiating with the man, hoping he would surrender. The man was believed to have been hiding in the store's rafters.
After nearly five hours, officers stormed the building, yelling, "Put your hands in the air!" A flash bang device was deployed, and a man was dragged out, kicking and screaming.
He did not have any weapons in his hands at the time of his arrest, Gates said.
Officers cleared the building and found no one else inside. Detectives will process the scene, where the store is littered with debris and store goods.
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