A 62-year-old man is in custody following a tense afternoon in South Seattle that involved multiple burglaries, property damage, and a standoff with police, according to the Seattle Police Department.
Officers responded to an apartment complex in the 3600 block of 33rd Avenue South at 3:58 p.m. after receiving calls about a man in crisis breaking into apartments. Callers also reported the man was seen with a knife.
Witnesses told police the suspect left his apartment and began throwing objects, including flowerpots, at people nearby.
He then kicked in the doors of several other apartments, entering them and causing damage to at least one.
The suspect then went back to his own apartment, where he continued to cause a disturbance that neighbors could hear.
Police officers arrived at the scene and knocked on the suspect’s door, identifying themselves. They could see him through a window, apparently holding a knife.
The Seattle Police Department’s Hostage Negotiation Unit responded to the scene to attempt communication with the man, but was unsuccessful.
SWAT officers also arrived and tried negotiating with the suspect, but they were also unable to reach a resolution.
Officers then obtained and executed a search warrant for the man’s apartment. He was safely taken into custody.
Seattle Fire Department medics evaluated the suspect before he was transported to the King County Jail.
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