A 50-year-old transient, whose last listed address is in Olympia, is in custody as of Wednesday morning following a two-hour standoff Tuesday involving Aberdeen police officers and multiple assisting agencies.
At approximately 12:56 p.m. Tuesday, Aberdeen officers were dispatched to a suspicious person complaint in the 300 block of South F Street. The caller reported that a male pointed a flare gun at a window.
When officers arrived in the area and located the suspect, he disregarded their directives to stop and proceeded to jump into the Chehalis River. Officers attempted to communicate with him and convince him to come ashore, but he refused.
The suspect proceeded through the water to the train trestle where he climbed onto a pillar where he remained while officers continued attempts to communicate with him. He later climbed onto the walkway platform beneath the train trestle.
Just before 3 p.m., after officers confirmed the suspect was not in possession of the flare gun after he had discarded the contents from inside his backpack into the river, officers moved onto the platform to continue their efforts to safely take him into custody. The suspect proceeded to climb over the railing and jumped back into the water.
A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife boat with a WDFW officer, a Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s deputy, and an Aberdeen police officer on board, pulled the suspect from the water where he was taken into custody.
The suspect was transported to the nearest dock where Aberdeen Fire Department personnel were waiting to medically evaluate him. Following the evaluation, he was transported to the Aberdeen Police Department jail on multiple misdemeanor charges to include disorderly conduct, obstructing a law enforcement officer, and resisting arrest. More charges may follow.
“The Aberdeen Police Department would like to thank the Aberdeen Fire Department, Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Mobile Crisis Team for their assistance and the resources they provided in helping bring this incident to a safe resolution,” the Aberdeen Police Department said via press release.
