Hoquiam Police officers responded to a disturbance call early Saturday morning to the 400 block of Queen Ave.  While talking with the calling party the subject of the call threw a glass bottle at officers from the opposite side of a fence.  The bottle missed the officers and shattered on the ground nearby. We have more below in a press release from the Hoquiam Police Department.

On December 16, 2017, at 6:14 a.m. Hoquiam officers were dispatched to the area of the 400 block of Queen Avenue for a report of a disorderly subject threatening neighbors with a firearm. 

Officers arrived in the area and made contact with the reporting person who advised a male subject had broken the window to his RV and had threatened that he had a gun.  While officers were talking to the reporting person, the suspect threw a glass bottle at officers from the opposite side of a fence.  The bottle missed the officers and shattered on the ground nearby.

Officers located the suspect standing on the porch of his apartment.  The suspect, a 33 year old Hoquiam man was recognized by officers who were aware he has a history of substance abuse, mental health issues, and has violently resisted arrest in the past.     

Officers attempted to communicate with the man who then armed himself with an approximately two foot long metal pipe.  Officers ordered him to drop it and he threw it at an officer.  The subject then barricaded himself in his apartment. 

Officers negotiated with the man and attempted to gain his peaceful surrender.  He was extremely agitated and angry.  The man told officers he was hearing voices.   He threatened to kill the officers and others. 

An officer on scene was a trained crisis negotiator and continued to attempt to gain cooperation from the subject.  A counselor from the Grays Harbor Crisis Clinic was also summoned to the location in an attempt to obtain a peaceful resolution. 

A neighbor advised they were concerned for the welfare of the suspect’s mother who also lived in the apartment.  When officers asked the man about his mother he first said she was not there and then later said she was “tied up and locked away.”

Officers obtained a telephonic search and arrest warrant for the location and the suspect while negotiations continued to no avail.  Just after obtaining the search warrant his mother arrived on scene.  She also attempted to have her son come out of the apartment peacefully, however he continued to refuse.  The crisis negotiator, crisis clinic counselor, and his mother advised they were certain he would not come out of the apartment on his own. 

At approximately 7:43 a.m. officers forced entry into the apartment.  The subject was combative and a TASER device was used to assist in subduing him.  He was taken into protective custody and an ambulance was called to assess him.  The only injuries suffered were small punctures from the TASER probes. 

The man was taken to Grays Harbor Community Hospital for mental health evaluation and stabilization.  Charges for malicious mischief and disorderly conduct will be forwarded to the Hoquiam City Prosecutor.  

An officer with the Aberdeen Police Department responded to assist Hoquiam officers.