Male Suffering a Mental Health Crisis Eventually Coaxed into Surrendering
Spokane Valley Sheriff’s Deputies, with the assistance of a Mental Health Designated Crisis Responder, worked to help a male suffering a mental health crisis to surrender peacefully. He was reportedly armed with knives and perched nearly 30’ above the ground on a stack of plywood in a store parking lot. After 3.5 hours of working to keep the male calm, he eventually agreed to climb down on his own. He was transported to a hospital to receive the help he desperately needed.
On October 13, 2020, at approximately 9:15 pm., Spokane Valley Deputies responded to the reported disorderly male inside a store located in the 5600 block of E. Sprague in Spokane Valley. Store employees told the male, who was observed with knives earlier, to leave, but he refused. An employee said the male was talking to himself, appeared high or intoxicated, and at one point, was seen carrying knives in the store. Deputies were requested to help get the male to leave the property, and the store wished to have him trespassed.
When Deputies arrived, they found the male on top of a stack of plywood, approximately 30 feet in the air. He identified himself and said he was part of the NSA. He continued to ramble, saying he didn’t want to get shot in the face, but he might be suicidal.
During this prolonged contact, the male refused to climb down. He appeared to be incapable of focusing on the conversation, going off-topic, saying he was involved with top-secret government agencies, or that he might be assassinated. Multiple times, he would wrap the loose pieces of metal banding used to hold the plywood stack together during shipping around his neck, stating he might jump.
Each time, Deputies would successfully de-escalate the intense situation and calm him back down.
With the male armed with large metal stakes and possibly in possession of knives, Deputies backed away, staying in the area but out of sight, hoping he would climb down, presenting a safer opportunity to take him into protective custody. Unfortunately, he stayed on top of the plywood, playing with the large metal stakes.
A Mental Health Designated Crisis Responder was requested to assist.
Just before midnight, the male agreed to climb down. He was safely taken into protective custody and transported to a hospital for additional medical assistance.
Thankfully, during this intense and extremely unpredictable incident, none of the uninvolved shoppers, store employees, the male in crisis, or any first responders were injured.