SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – A suspect wanted on multiple child sexual assault charges was arrested in Spokane Valley on Wednesday after a brief standoff, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said that at about 10:40 a.m., an automated license plate reader alerted them to a vehicle registered to a 36-year-old man facing 17 felony charges. Deputies located the vehicle near South Sullivan Road and East Sprague Avenue.
Investigators said that the suspect was stopped in a parking lot in the 15300 block of East Sprague Avenue. Police said he has military training and a history of making threats against law enforcement. He was initially cooperative but became argumentative and indicated he was armed.
Deputies said that the situation escalated into a standoff, prompting additional resources, including crisis negotiators and behavioral health units, to respond.
Around 11:30 a.m., police said teams de-escalated the situation and took the suspect into custody without further incident. Deputies said that they seized a loaded pistol from his waistband.
He was booked into the Spokane County Jail on the felony charges as part of an ongoing Sexual Assault Unit investigation.
