SWAT Team Called To Resolve Spanaway Standoff

SPANAWAY, WA — The Pierce County Sheriff's Department SWAT team had to be called in to resolve a situation with a barricaded suspect in Spanaway early Thursday.

According to deputies, around 2 a.m. the sheriff's department was called to a home in the 20100 block of 47th Ave Ct E.

Deputies say it was the second time they had been called to the home that night. Earlier, they had received reports of a shooting, but had been unable to find any witnesses willing to talk.

Upon arrival, the officers spoke with a woman who told them her boyfriend had hit her in the face with a gun.

The suspect had already fled back into the home. He and several other people inside refused to leave or respond to police announcements, the Sheriff's Department said.

Around this time, the sheriff's department was contacted by Lakewood police, who told deputies they also had a warrant out for the same suspect. Lakewood police say the man was wanted in connection with a separate domestic violence assault in their city.

At that point, the SWAT Team was called in to resolve the situation, as the suspect continued to refuse to leave his home and was believed to be armed. Once SWAT arrived, 3 people left the home shortly afterwards — but the suspect remained alone inside.

A SWAT robot searched the premise and found no one left in the home, so just after 8 a.m. the SWAT team entered the home, and found the suspect hiding under a bed in one of the bedrooms. The 22-year-old suspect has since been booked into the Pierce County Jail, accused of two counts of assault, one from the Lakewood incident and one from Thursday's.

Deputies also found several baby puppies left alone in the home. Officers could not immediately contact the animals' owners, so they have been given to animal control until their rightful owners can be found.