EVERETT, Wash. — A tense standoff at a motel in Everett ended Friday evening with two people in custody after a chaotic series of events that prompted a heavy police response and forced evacuations of nearby businesses.
Authorities say the situation began late Friday morning when Everett Police responded to a disturbance involving a man and a woman. Initial reports suggested the male suspect may have been armed with a handgun.
When officers arrived, an altercation unfolded, and an Everett officer discharged their weapon. The couple then barricaded themselves inside a motel room, sparking an hours-long standoff.
The Snohomish County Multi-Agency Response Team (SMART) has taken over the investigation. Spokesperson Nathan Fabia confirmed that after attempts to communicate with the pair failed, SWAT teams deployed less-lethal devices around 5 p.m. The suspects eventually surrendered and were taken into custody without further incident.
Witnesses described an escalating scene inside the motel even before law enforcement arrived. Todd Hoss, a guest at the motel, said things quickly spiraled when a woman began shouting and acting erratically.
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“She was screaming like it was something out of a Rambo movie,” Hoss recalled. “She claimed people were being poisoned.”
According to Hoss, a hotel employee had gone to their room around check-out time, which triggered the confrontation. The woman allegedly lunged at the manager, then ran through the motel holding a large iguana, shouting and pounding on doors.
“She ran toward the vending machine and started banging on the door to room 30,” Hoss said, adding that she punched a bystander who tried to intervene.
Police arrived shortly afterward, and the standoff began. Witnesses reported seeing drones overhead and hearing loud booms from the less-lethal devices used by SWAT.
Fabia confirmed that the male suspect sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment. It remains unclear whether his injuries were caused by gunfire or some other means.
Authorities said the man will face charges of second-degree assault and first-degree criminal trespass. The woman will also be booked for first-degree criminal trespass. Neither suspect nor responding officers sustained serious injuries.
