SEATTLE — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
A 47-year-old man was arrested after a nearly four-hour standoff with Seattle police officers Tuesday.
The suspect was allegedly “menacing officers” with a machete outside of a church, located on N.E. 50th Street in Seattle’s University District, just before 4 p.m. Tuesday.
“The suspect began yelling and throwing trash around the property. He then armed himself with a machete when officers confronted him,” the Seattle Police Department (SPD) stated in its crime blotter. “The man barricaded himself near the building’s main entrance, ignoring police commands.”
Police evacuated the church and surrounded the property. Negotiators, a crisis intervention team, and SWAT were called to the scene. After multiple hours passed with the suspect failing to cooperate, “less lethal tools,” including a taser, according to the SPD, were deployed in order to take him into custody.
The suspect was booked into the King County Jail for felony harassment, possession of a deadly weapon, and obstruction. Additionally, the church permanently trespassed the suspect from the property.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
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