Police: Man held in standoff threatened ‘suicide by cop’

EVERETT — An Everett man accused of pointing a gun at police during a standoff Monday night has a history of depression and told his mother he wanted to commit “suicide by cop,” according to court records.

“This is something that easily could have escalated into a shooting situation,” Everett police officer Aaron Snell said. “The officers were in fear for their lives at one point there.”

No shots were fired during the confrontation in the 3300 block of Kromer Avenue.

Several people called 911 around 8:30 p.m. after hearing a gunshot and seeing a tall shirtless and shoeless man carrying a weapon.

The first officer to reach the neighborhood recognized the home from a previous noise complaint, and remembered that a man living there was reported to have mental health problems.

He waited for backup.

When officers lit up the house with a spotlight, they saw a man sitting near the front porch with what appeared to be a rifle or shotgun in his hands, court papers said. Snell said Tuesday it still wasn’t clear from written reports what kind of gun the man was holding.

When an officer yelled “Everett police,” the suspect allegedly lifted his weapon and pointed it at the officers’ heads. They took cover behind their patrol cars.

The suspect allegedly yelled to police several times to “Drop your weapons!”

The man’s mother, 64, drove into the neighborhood during the standoff. She told police that her son has a history of depression and that he had been suicidal and drinking.

With the police nearby, she called her son and pleaded with him to come outside and turn himself over to the police, court papers said. He allegedly told her he wanted to die by “suicide by cop.”

The standoff lasted about 15 minutes, Snell said.

“Ultimately, he surrendered to police,” he said. “There were some tense moments.”

The man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of two counts of assault. A mental health evaluation may be requested to determine if the man is capable of understanding the allegations against him.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com