Thanks to all who sent information and pictures from the scene
Seattle Police and SWAT units cordoned off an area around an apartment building at Summit and Howell Monday evening after a report of a possibly armed male inside who had threatened to commit suicide.
With the area secure, police made entry and discovered the man dead inside the first floor apartment around 7 PM. The King County Medical Examiner was on scene to investigate the death.
The situation began in the late afternoon, according to police radio dispatches. An SPD spokesperson said the nature of the person’s threats required an “abundance of caution.” SWAT units including a large Bearcat vehicle were positioned around the area as apartments near the unit were cleared and the streets were blocked off. CHS provided updates on the incident via Twitter during the police response.
The victim in the suicide was not identified but his family was in contact with police.
For resources and help to prevent suicide, please call the national suicide-prevention hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE or the local crisis clinic: (206) 461-3222.
@jseattle when asked what was going on an officer responded “nothing anymore” pic.twitter.com/YccvAi2bqA
— Jesse Rope (@beacomedian) May 3, 2016
So, the man who works security at the Summit & Howell intersection says there was one police sniper on the roof of the apartment next to Olive Terrace and that the man who committed suicide was shot by an officer. Any validity to this?
Thank you for the response, I appreciate the update.
Wouldn’t surprise me. The police loooooove the opportunity to don their battle jammies, act like they’re in Fallujah and jump any excuse to use their toys against the citizenry.
That’s terrible, but good work by the local responders if no one else was hurt.
I think there may be more to the story. I live in an apartment building that’s adjacent to all of this, and before the police were called I heard screaming and arguments in the street for about fifteen minutes….with the person at the end screaming something like “Okay then, call the police”.
I’m glad the family is in contact with the police. When my loved one committed suicide family found from his coworkers and scrambled to tell his elderly mother before she saw it on Facebook. Police said it’s the med examiner’s job to notify family, but didn’t give the ME’s office any of the family contact information they got from the coworkers.
I live in this building. I don’t understand why police dealt with suicidal person in that way. First, I saw about 5 cops with a shotgun (no swat team) at the front door. I figured they came to arrest a drug dealer in the building. After about an hour, I looked outside and saw many armored vehicles, police cars ,cops with full armors and some military people. I mean it was like GTA full star level. They don’t display this much even in police expo. (those picture don’t show any swat armored cars or other armored cars with turret)
I saw the person that says ‘chief negotiator’. They also brought remote control robot. so I figured this guy made a serious bomb threat. I think they should’ve just broke the door when they sent few cops first time. They didn’t do anything with those enormous equipments but just sat outside till they realized the person is dead. All they needed was One Door Buster, Not a sniper on roof, bomb robot, many armored vehicles, all kinds of rifles, ammos and armored vests etc.
Or maybe one Sympathetic Ear.
Next time there is a call to 911 about a man with a gun barricaded in their apartment, how about you volunteer to be the one to break down the door and go check on the person. Of course you won’t be wearing any protection because you’re apparently bulletproof. Maybe you should listen to less Sia.
He wasn’t barricaded asshole. He was a young kid who’s soul goal was to take his own life at which he succeeded. He had no intention to harm anyone. His mother called the cops. He was 19 and sad. Made a mistake. Would never have hurt anyone. He was a great kid and I advise you loud mouths to stop talking about what you so clearly don’t understand. Shame on you.
I personally am interested in the truth of what happens around my neighborhood. For instance, now it comes out that his mother called the police, not him. Was he having an argument outside of the apartment first? I remember hearing a large argument with a person screaming, then when I left my building there were the multiple police SUVs, armored vehicle, cops everywhere.
It’s sad that he took his own life, but I think if something provokes the sheer amount of police response that happened, people in the neighborhood have a right to know what happened—nice kid or not.
I know the kid who did it. 19 years old. Not violent. Amazing kid. He will be missed.