PRESS RELEASE
A21-1865
FELONY ASSAULT ARREST AND SWAT MISSION
At 1010 hours of August 4th, 2021 Cowlitz 911 received a call from a female who stated her husband was armed with a knife, chasing her in their home and threatening to “sacrifice her to god.” Cowlitz County deputies responded to the scene, a two-story residence in the 2000 block of 46th Ave, Longview and were able to get the female victim to a safe location. The suspect, a 55-year-old male, briefly exited the residence but would not comply with commands to surrender. The suspect went back inside the residence, yelled at deputies, and challenged them to come inside. He also threw items and shattered glass in the driveway near where deputies were parked.
Deputies developed probable cause to arrest the suspect for Assault 2nd Degree – Domestic Violence. Negotiators spoke with the suspect by phone, and deputies gave commands over a public address speaker, but they were unable to convince the suspect to surrender. The suspect told negotiators that he was getting a shotgun, and family members confirmed there was a shotgun in the residence.
The Lower Columbia SWAT Team was called to assist in taking the suspect into custody, and a search warrant was obtained for the residence. The suspect assaulted SWAT team members as they attempted to take him into custody. The suspect also assaulted the Sheriff’s Office K-9 by striking it with a pool cue, causing a cut to the dog’s ear.
The suspect attempted to gouge out one officer’s eye, by putting his finger’s inside the officer’s eye socket between his skull and eyeball. The suspect also spit in the officer’s eyes and bit the officer’s hand.
As the suspect continued to fight, team members were only able to handcuff his hands in front and moved him outside before attempting to reposition the handcuffs to the suspect’s back. The suspect then tried to cut officers with a glass shard as he continued to resist efforts to secure him. The suspect was taken into custody at 1319 hours, over three hours after the initial call to 911.
The suspect was transported for medical treatment and will be booked at the Cowlitz County Jail once he is cleared. The Sheriff’s Office intends to file the following charges:
Assault 2nd Degree – Domestic Violence
Assault 2nd Degree (Two Counts)
Assault 3rd Degree (Two Counts)
Harming a Police Dog
Felony Harassment
Obstructing a Law Enforcement Officer
Resisting Arrest
The Sheriff’s Office will list the suspect’s name once he has been booked into jail.
This incident is one of many instances that highlight the negative outcomes of legislation that went into effect on July 25th, 2021. There were several opportunities during this incident to utilize less-lethal options, but those options are no longer available due to House Bill 1054. Those less-lethal options include:
Bean bag shotguns – HB 1054 prohibits law enforcement from using firearms and ammunition of .50 caliber or greater. This language prohibits the use of 12 gauge shotguns which have been converted to fire less-lethal bean bag munitions. During the initial contact, the suspect exited the home and refused to comply with commands. Bean-bag munitions could have been deployed at this point to take the suspect into custody. Prior to this legislation, bean bag rounds were also used to breach windows in a safe manner. During this incident, SWAT members had to fill buckets with rocks, which were thrown by hand to breach windows.
40mm munitions – this less-lethal tool is also prohibited by HB 1054, as it is over .50 caliber. The SWAT team was unable to launch 40mm gas munitions into the residence from a safe position due to this legislation. Gas munitions are a less-lethal irritant used to make a barricaded subject uncomfortable and convince them to exit the residence and surrender. During this incident, SWAT members had no safe way to deploy gas munitions into this two-story residence. The 40mm launcher can also be used to deploy less-lethal foam rounds, which could have been used when the suspect threatened SWAT members with a pool cue.
Vascular Neck Restraint – law enforcement is now prohibited from using the vascular neck restraint technique. This tactic could have been used to quickly and safely stop the suspect from attempting to slash SWAT members.
This incident highlights the need for the legislature to immediately correct deficiencies in recently passed legislation so that law enforcement officers can have the tools they need to serve their communities safely and effectively.
Troy Brightbill
Chief Criminal Deputy
Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office