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Tacoma: Man kills himself in apartment after three-hour police standoff

February 15th, 2009, incident report by jbtaylor

  • February 3, 2009
  • 1
  • 0
  • North 12th and Pearl streets
  • Tacoma
  • Washington
  • 98406

Stacey Mulick. The News Tribune. Tacoma, Wash.: Feb 5, 2009. pg. B.2

(Copyright (c) 2009 The News Tribune)

A man allowed his wife to leave their North End Tacoma apartment late Tuesday, then fatally shot himself, ending a three-hour standoff with officers, Tacoma police said Wednesday.

Officers entered the apartment on North 12th and Pearl streets and found the mortally wounded 42-year-old man. Paramedics were unable to revive him, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The man's wife called 911 about 8:25 p.m. and said he had a gun, police said. When officers arrived, the man told them to stay away, and the department's SWAT team and hostage negotiators were called, Fulghum said.

Neighboring apartments were evacuated as negotiators spoke on the telephone on and off with the man, his wife and his two daughters.

The negotiators directed the daughters to another room in the apartment, where SWAT officers were able to get them out through a window, Fulghum said. The girls were not injured.

The wife came out onto a porch about 11:30 p.m., and moments later a shot was heard. "That's when we went in," Fulghum said.