An armed standoff in North Seattle ended with a 47-year-old man in custody after he menaced police officers with a machete outside a church, this situation unfolding on the 1600 block of Northeast 50th Street Seattle Police Department's Blotter reported.
The incident began at approximately 3:50 p.m. when patrol officers were called to handle a trespassing man who had started to throw trash and yell on church property, as he confronted officers, he was armed with a machete which escalated the encounter into a near four-hour standoff, the church was quickly evacuated and the area was cordoned off, bringing in negotiators from the Crisis Intervention Team along with SWAT to manage the precarious situation.
Despite law enforcement's attempts at a peaceful resolution, the man refused to cooperate; the standoff continued until police employed less lethal measures, including the use of a taser to subdue and apprehend the individual. After the arrest, officers collected the machete marking it as evidence according to the SPD Blotter.
The suspect is currently awaiting booking into the King County Jail on charges of felony harassment, possession of a deadly weapon, and obstruction, following a medical evaluation at the hospital; moreover, the church has permanently banned the individual from their property as a response to this alarming incident.
