Deputies rescue man from himself

BOTHELL — A wanted man intentionally cut his own neck with a knife as Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies tried to negotiate with him to surrender.

Deputies were able to disarm the man, 45, after they broke out the windows of his van and used electric stun devices, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

“They wanted to stop him from harming himself,” Goetz said.

The incident is being investigated by the Snohomish County Multi-Agency Response Team at the request of the sheriff’s office. The team, made up of detectives from around the county, often is called upon to investigate officer-involved shootings.

The incident began just before 2 a.m. Monday when a deputy attempted to stop a van near 128th Street SW and I-5.

The van’s driver didn’t stop but drove off southbound on the freeway, Goetz said.

The van led deputies on a low-speed pursuit for about 15 minutes through Mill Creek and Bothell. It finally stopped in a residential area near the intersection of 174th Place SE and 31st Drive SE.

Deputies ordered the driver and his passenger out of the van, Goetz said. The passenger complied but the driver refused to surrender.

Instead, he held a knife up to his throat and threatened to harm himself, Goetz said. He was cutting his neck while deputies tried talking to him.

The deputies used less-than-lethal rounds, similar to rubber pellets, to break out the van’s windows. The deputies then fired Tasers to disarm the man. Police took the man into custody.

He had several cuts to his neck and was treated at the scene. He eventually was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. His injuries were not expected to be life-threatening.

The man was expected to be released from the hospital later Monday and into the custody of the state Department of Corrections, Goetz said. He was being supervised by the department and had a felony warrant for his arrest for a probation violation.

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or dhefley@heraldnet.com.