SWAT and police negotiators responded to a strange call yesterday evening which resulted in the arrest of an 20-year-old man after a brief standoff.
Just before 6:00 pm, officers responded to the 200 Block of N. 85th Street for a call of a 17-year-old girl being held against her will in an apartment by a man with a gun. This was a follow up to a reported robbery that occurred the day before in the 9200 Block of Greenwood Avenue North.
On Sunday, shortly after 3:00 pm, the female victim was at her apartment on Greenwood when a friend of hers asked to come over. The 20-year-old man brought an unknown male with him and the three visited for a while in the apartment. As the two men were getting ready to leave, the unknown male pulled out a gun and demanded that she hand over cash. As the suspect was pulling out the gun, the victim stated that the gun went off. There were no injuries. The victim handed over the money and the two suspects left. The victim called 911 and North Precinct officers responded to investigate. The suspects were not located, although officers received information on the friend and there was probable cause to arrest for robbery.
On Monday, just before 6:00 pm, a friend of the victim called 911 to report that her friend, the victim, was inside the apartment in the 200 Block of N. 85th, being held by the 20-year-old suspect. The complainant reported that she and the victim had been texting each other, and that the victim told her via text that the suspect was in the apartment with her, armed with a gun, and she could not leave.
Officers responded to the location and set up containment. Because this was a potential armed, barricaded situation, SWAT and negotiators were called to the scene. After a short standoff, the 20-year-old suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Officers interviewed the victim later. She stated that the suspect had come over to that location earlier in the day and that they had been hanging out for several hours. When the victim’s friends came over and knocked on the door, the suspect told the victim not to open the door or she would go to jail. The suspect told the victim he had a gun, although the victim never actually saw one. That is when she began texting her friend who later called 911.
No gun was located at the scene. There were no injuries.
The 20-year-old suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery from the Sunday incident, and Investigation of Unlawful Imprisonment.