Kent man charged after threatening to shoot strangers, standoff with police at apartment

A Kent man was charged with felony harassment and second-degree assault with a firearm enhancement after a shooting and standoff with police at his apartment Wednesday, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced.

According to court records, on Wednesday around 11 a.m., multiple residents of Olympic Skyline Apartments called 911 about Jeffrey Martin, a “known aggressive, hostile neighbor,” arguing with other residents and threatening to shoot a woman and her father in the head.

Martin then went back to his apartment, grabbed a rifle, and pointed it at numerous residents in the parking lot.

Dispatch told responding officers that there were previous welfare checks involving Martin shooting a gun around the apartment. An officer reviewed the previous incidents, noting that it appeared Martin was struggling with paranoia and mental health issues, police said.

As officers arrived at the apartment, a gunshot was heard. Other officers watched Martin’s apartment and heard him loading a shotgun through the open window.

Police established a perimeter around the building. Martin exited his apartment numerous times — once with another long gun, two other times to throw objects at police. Officers confirmed the suspect as Martin using his Department of Licensing picture.

One officer called the father and daughter who had been threatened. The father said Martin told his daughter he was “going to blow her head off.”

According to the father, when he confronted Martin, Martin said the same thing to him, became aggressive, and went to his apartment, apparently to get a rifle.

According to documents, Martin pointed the rifle at the father and daughter and then pointed it in the air making nonsensical statements. He never fired the gun, but left it on top of his 2002 Buick LeSabre in the parking lot.

Martin then went back into his apartment, at which point the father said he heard gunshots from the apartment as police arrived. Police said the father stated “he was afraid and thought he was going to have to shoot Martin with the pistol he was carrying because he was afraid for his life.”

The daughter later told police that she was not outside when Martin pointed the rifle at her father, but that her father “appeared in extreme fear as he was hiding in the bushes with others running as she came back outside.”

Martin continued threatening to shoot officers who were surrounding his apartment building. He refused to engage in de-escalation talks and called 911 multiple times, stating that “he is ‘a merchant Marine and is going to kill these (expletive).’”

Officers heard another gunshot and saw debris exit the roof of Martin’s apartment. At one point, the suspect exited his residence and yelled at police to kill him.

A search warrant was signed by a King County judge for Martin’s apartment to allow police to arrest him and search for guns.

Hostage negotiators continued to ask Martin to surrender, but he refused. Chemical agents were used, at which point Martin exited the apartment but still refused to come down to officers.

Using a K9 officer, police took Martin into custody around 3:37 p.m., more than four hours after police had arrived.

Martin was transported to Harborview Medical Center for medical evaluation.

His bail was set at $250,000. His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 25.

©2022 Cox Media Group