If you were wondering what a SWAT team and large police response was for on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, Kent Police said that it had to do a domestic violence incident that lasted nearly four hours.

Police say that Kent Patrol Officers responded to an address on the East Hill at about 12:30 a.m. early Tuesday in regards to a domestic violence assault in progress. They arrived quickly and spoke with the victim who stated that a small child was still inside the house with the suspect.

Patrol Officers patiently spoke to the suspect for over an hour to encourage him to safely exit the residence, but he refused and barricaded the door. They wrote a warrant, and called out the Valley Swat Team and Hostage Negotiators to assist. Officers also stayed with the victim to provide support and gather evidence.

SWAT provided security, kept the neighborhood safe, and kept the suspect from escaping. Hostage Negotiators eventually convinced the suspect, a 33-year-old Kent man, to leave the apartment just after 4 a.m. This call with multiple Officers, some from neighboring agencies, took about four hours to resolve.

The child was not injured and is safe with mom.

The man was arrested for Assault 2.

“Thank you to our neighboring cities for the assist in the middle of the night,” police said. “Your presence and expertise made a difference. Great job to our Officers who remained calm, and conversational with an unpredictable suspect on a high stakes call. Thank you for your ability to de-escalate, relate and provide support during an emotional incident. Well done.”

Domestic Violence Resources:

Local: https://www.dawnrising.org/
State: https://wscadv.org/washington-domestic-violence-programs/
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
Are you abusing someone and want to stop? https://www.stopwa.com/
Call 911 if you need to report an assault. If you do not speak English, state your language to the 911 Call Receiver and they will get an interpreter online.
If you are deaf/hard of hearing you can text 911 in our area. Do not use texting if you are hearing abled This 911 feature is time intensive and reserved for those who need it.