Nineteen hours after Hoquiam Police Department officers responded to a domestic dispute, the suspect was put in custody.
In the early afternoon hours of Tuesday, March 29, Hoquiam police officers responded to a domestic dispute that involved an armed juvenile suspect inside a house just east of the intersection of 27th Street and Queets Avenue.
At about 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning, March 30, the suspect was brought into custody.
“What I can release right now (is) he’s being taken into custody for arrest warrants and additional firearm-related charges,” said Hoquiam Police Department Deputy Chief Joe Strong .
The juvenile boy had barricaded himself inside the house. After tireless work of police negotiators — who had been talking with the suspect into late Wednesday morning — he gave himself up.
“Police negotiators have been communicating with the juvenile through the night in an attempt to secure his safe surrender,” according to a Hoquiam Police Department Facebook post.
A little after 11 a.m., on Wednesday, Hoquiam police were seen and heard knocking on the front door of the house with a search warrant in order to find evidence related to the incident.
Strong said the multi-agency effort included assistance from the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office and the Aberdeen Police Department.
“We received additional support from the Aberdeen-Hoquiam-Cosmopolis (Behavioral Health) Navigator, Mobile Crisis, and the Hoquiam Street Department and Hoquiam Fire Department,” Strong said.
Hoquiam schools were notified of a potential impact to schools and bus routes, the Hoquiam Police Department Facebook post states.
“Hoquiam Public Works has closed the streets and we are asking citizens to remain clear of the area,” the post states.
During the standoff, nearby residents — from Ontario Street to 28th Street, and Queets Avenue to Cherry Street — were warned about possible power outages in the area.
“Any resident who relies on medical devices that would be impacted by a power outage should contact dispatch on the nonemergency number at 360-533-8765,” the post states.
Street blockages near the scene were being cleared for traffic just after 11:15 a.m., on Wednesday.
After The Daily World spoke to Strong, it sounded like the incident was an all-hands-on-deck situation.
“Personnel from all agencies were exhausted during this detail,” Strong said.
