A dramatic scene unfolded at a Pullman apartment complex leading to the arrest of a suspect in a case of arson that had emergency responders scrambling to evacuate residents and extinguish a blaze yesterday evening. In a detailed social media post by the City of Pullman Police Department, authorities relayed the arrest of 40-year-old Elijah Regan after a tense vehicle pursuit and negotiations that ended near the Idaho state line.
According to information provided by the Police Department, the alarming situation began around 5:38 p.m. yesterday when fire units responded to an active fire at an apartment on NW Larry Street, with the building incurring severe damage, though fortunately without injury to the residents, Pullman Police swiftly initiated a search for Regan upon learning he might have intentionally caused an explosion and the Spokane County Bomb Squad was called in as a precaution, the multifaceted response included the dispatching of Pullman Transit buses to transport the displaced residents to Pullman Presbyterian Church and the orchestration of an American Red Cross shelter at Pullman Senior Center.
What ensued was a multi-agency effort involving numerous regional SWAT teams and police departments. After being located by a Whitman County Sheriff’s deputy, Regan led authorities on a high-speed chase; engaging in erratic driving before a Pullman Police negotiator successfully made phone contact, where he eventually agreed to pull over and continue negotiations Regan was taken into custody late at night without further incident.
Regan now faces charges of Arson 1st Degree and Attempting to Elude Pursuing Police Vehicles, and was booked into the Nez Perce County Jail, following a standoff that demanded the coordinated efforts of local law enforcement spanning two states; the Pullman Police Department expressed gratitude toward its partner agencies for their assistance on their Facebook page, emphasizing the swift and peaceful resolution to a situation that had held the potential for tragedy.
