EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been updated with the correct street info.
On Monday morning, Nov. 14, 2022 at about 5:25 a.m., Kent Police responded to a residence at the 25800 block of 140th Ave SE on Kent’s East Hill (map below) regarding a report of a threat with a gun.
Due to an abundance of caution, nearby Meridian Elementary School was placed into lockdown during this incident.
Patrol Officers were advised that the suspect, a 26-year-old Kent man who lives in the residence, pointed a gun at a family member, but did not make threats. The family member/witness advised that the suspect was possibly in crisis. The witness further advised that the gun, a 22 rifle, was secured with a chamber lock.
Patrol Officers responded to the location and made numerous attempts to contact the suspect but were not successful. The family members left the residence, leaving the suspect alone in the house.
At about 10:30 a.m. Police Officers requested the aid of Valley SWAT and the Valley Hostage Negotiation Team, (HNT). An HNT negotiator spent several hours on the phone speaking to the suspect and encouraging him to leave the residence, but he refused. At some point during the negotiations, a family member re-entered the house, and took the rifle from the suspect. The circumstances of the incident did not provide the Officers the legal justification to enter the home for a community caretaking intervention, and the Officers were advised there was insufficient probable cause to enter the home for an arrest.
The suspect never left the residence, and the gun was never fired, but the home is near a portion of their campus playfields.
Police Officers remained on scene until school was out of session.
The rifle taken from the suspect is in Police custody.
The street named in the article was incorrect . It was 140th Ave SE, not 104th Ave SE.
Thanks – this has been corrected.