Police SWAT activity Saturday night in Richmond Highlands

On Saturday evening, around 7pm, March 29, Shoreline Police responded to reports of a suicidal subject in the 100 block of NW 183rd in the Richmond Highlands neighborhood.

Family members reported that the subject was alone in the house, had barricaded himself in, and was threatening "suicide by cop." They also reported that there were guns in the house, but the subject was only threatening to harm himself, not others.

When Shoreline Police assessed the situation, they set a perimeter around the home, blocking off the street from traffic. They called in a trained hostage negotiator, who attempted to talk the subject out for several hours.

When it became clear that the subject was not responding to negotiation, the King County Sheriff's Office SWAT team was called in.

Around a dozen police cars were present on the street, including the vehicles of the SWAT team officers.

At 1:27am the SWAT team made entry into the home using flash bangs, a common technique used by tactical units. Wikipedia defines flash bangs as "a non-lethal explosive device used to temporarily disorient an enemy's senses. It is designed to produce a blinding flash of light and loud noise without causing permanent injury."

The subject was taken into custody and booked into the King County Jail as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Eleven firearms were removed from the home including a rifle, shotgun and handguns. 

The jail has a psych unit, and the capability of making psychological assessments.