Aberdeen man jailed after 6-hour standoff with police

By Dave Haviland • July 10, 2021 1:30 am
DAVE HAVILAND | THE DAILY WORLD Police negotiated with a suspect for several hours near the busy intersection at East Wishkah and South Chehalis streets, while city of Aberdeen crews closed the street North of East Wishkah Street. The incident began with the report of a weapon being fired in a home on the 900 block of Summit Street.

A 40-year-old Aberdeen resident was arrested Thursday evening following a six hour armed standoff with Aberdeen Police Department personnel.

Commander Dale Green said in a news release that at approximately 12:03 p.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to a report of a subject with a rifle inside a residence in the 900 block of Summit Street.

Callers reported the subject was threatening to kill people in the residence. As officers responded, the subject fired a round from the rifle inside the residence.

Officers arrived and set up a perimeter around the residence. Green said they were able to call out the victims and witnesses, as the armed subject remained in the residence.

The incident on Summit Street continued for six hours, as emergency responders attempted to deescalate the situation and make contact with the man.

A small amount of CS gas was sent into the residence at some point and the subject immediately surrendered. The subject was checked out by Aberdeen Fire Department Paramedics and transported to the Aberdeen Police Department. Aberdeen police detectives later executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered the firearm.

At approximately 1:51 p.m., while still dealing with the barricaded subject, 911 calls were received regarding a subject on top of the Wishkah Street Bridge.

A number of police officers responded to the scene, along with personnel from the Aberdeen Regional Crisis Response Unit (CRU).

Negotiators were able to partially climb up the structure to attempt to deescalate the situation. Due to the safety of the motoring public, first responders, and the subject on top of the structure, Wishkah Street was closed at the bridge. However, the man refused to speak to anyone on scene.

After three and a half hours, the subject climbed down from the top of the bridge, and then jumped into the Wishkah River where the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit personnel were able to reach the man.

Aberdeen Fire Department paramedics checked out the man. He was then taken into custody for disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. The subject, a 38 year-old Aberdeen transient, was booked into the Aberdeen Jail.

Hoquiam Police Department personnel also responded to the scene. The CRU consists of officers from the Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Montesano and Cosmopolis Police Department along with deputies from the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office.

DAVE HAVILAND | THE DAILY WORLD Police climbed onto a lower catwalk to talk to a man who climbed to the top of the structure above the Wishkah River Bridge. Westbound traffic was diverted over Pioneer Boulevard, a popular detour route over Think-of-Me hill.

DAVE HAVILAND | THE DAILY WORLD Police climbed onto a lower catwalk to talk to a man who climbed to the top of the structure above the Wishkah River Bridge. Westbound traffic was diverted over Pioneer Boulevard, a popular detour route over Think-of-Me hill.