Police peacefully ended the 520 bridge standoff, arresting a man who stopped on the highway with a shot gun in his car.
All lanes closed on the 520 floating bridge at about 4:40 p.m. Friday after a supposedly disabled vehicle stopped, blocking the Eastbound lanes, and police determined the driver was uncooperative and armed.
#Update on SR 520 closure incident. Subject exited the vehicle and was taken into custody! WB lanes opening shortly. EB will remain closed until the truck is cleared. #ThanksForYourPatience.
— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) September 22, 2018
Police peacefully detained the suspect after calling in a SWAT team and negotiators. Police are beginning to open westbound lanes while eastbound lanes will remain closed until the suspect’s truck is cleared.
The Washington State Department of Transportation tweeted that one Eastbound lane is open at about 6 p.m., but drivers should be cautious as collisions are common in these types of situations.
Please be cautious once the bridge reopens. We often see collisions in those type of situations. We know everyone wants to get going, but please do it safely. https://t.co/Ejv4Oa8nHF
— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) September 22, 2018
After the driver stopped, police approached the vehicle to assist, presuming it was simply disabled, at 4:38 p.m. Friday. The driver was uncooperative, and after about 10 minutes, they determined he had a shotgun in the vehicle. The suspect threw the shotgun out of the vehicle, but police were unsure if the driver was still armed with other weapons.
The driver exited his vehicle, with his dog, and police resolved the situation peacefully at about 5:50 p.m.
