Anyone know what’s going on at MLK and Yesler?? Lot’s of cop cars and more sirens…
Update: by scott – We’re going through the scanner recordings, and what we’ve found so far is that several police units responded to an apartment at 28th & Yesler at around 2pm to arrest a man on a harassment charge. He ended up barricading himself in the residence with another female, thus setting up a multi-hour stand-off.
We’re not sure yet about the details of the original harassment incident, but involvement of officers from the South precinct indicates that it may have started down there.
Update x2: Here’s why the response is so big: “Everyone should be aware that the suspect had said earlier that he was armed and wouldn’t go back to jail, that he might be confrontational to a pretty high degree.” Officers have been in and out of telephone contact with the suspect. The south precinct officers that are involved are from the Sam sector, which is the southern-most area around Rainier Beach.
Update x3: Here’s a statement from police spokesman Jeff Kappel:
Police have responded to the 2800 block of E. Yesler Way, where there’s a subject inside who apparently has made threats. He is believed to be armed and reportedly has a girlfriend or other person inside the residence with him. It’s unknown whether he made threats to her or somebody else, but we have the residence surrounded but he refuses to come out. We have hostage negotiatiors and SWAT teams on the scene.”
Update x4: The Seattle Times has more details on the event today, confirming that it all started in the south precinct:
Police spokesman Jeff Kappel said the incident began much earlier in the day, when officers received an emergency call about a man banging on a door at another location — in the 3300 block of Gale Place South. By the time officers arrived, the man was gone.