A 35-year-old man was arrested Friday morning in Ballard after he assaulted and robbed a woman in Ballard and later barricaded himself on a boat in Salmon Bay.
The incident began around 5:30 am Friday near 30th Avenue NW and NW Market Street. The suspect assaulted a 35-year-old woman and stole her backpack. A witness observed the assault and attempted to intervene, but the suspect was able to get away. Officers responded and contacted the victim. The woman, who knows the suspect, told officers he lived on a boat in the area. The victim also stated that the suspect is always armed with a knife and a loaded handgun, and that he also kept shotguns on the boat.
Officers responded to the boat near 24th Avenue NW and NW 54th Street and attempted to contact the suspect. Another man, not the suspect, came out of the boat and informed officers that the suspect was still on board. Negotiators responded to the scene in an attempt to establish a dialogue with the suspect. Based on the weapon information provided by the victim, SWAT was requested.
After several hours the suspect finally emerged from the boat and was taken into custody without incident. Officers cleared the boat and recovered a rifle and several BB guns. The suspect was booked into jail for robbery and detectives will handle the follow up investigation.