A man wanted for domestic violence is believed to have died in a fire after barricading himself inside his place of employment in Auburn, Washington, following a police standoff that lasted much of Tuesday.
The incident began around 8 a.m., when Kent Police and the Valley SWAT team attempted to arrest the 51-year-old man at an apartment complex. He was wanted for allegedly assaulting someone with a firearm and fleeing law enforcement.
As officers approached, the suspect reportedly sped away in a vehicle. Police attempted a pursuit but called it off due to the danger posed by his high-speed driving.
Investigators later tracked the man to a commercial building at 1520 W. Pike Street in Auburn, where they believe he worked. SWAT officers surrounded the facility and tried for several hours to convince him to surrender, fearing he was still armed with the same gun involved in the original domestic violence report.
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Despite extended negotiations, the man refused to come out. A search warrant was secured, allowing law enforcement to enter the building if necessary. Officers deployed flash bangs, chemicals, and even a drone in an attempt to locate and disarm him, but all efforts were unsuccessful.
Just after 6 p.m., SWAT members entered the building, but a fire broke out, quickly spreading through the structure and forcing them to withdraw. Firefighters arrived to contain the blaze, but their response was limited by the potential threat of the armed suspect still inside.
Authorities say the suspect was likely the only person inside the building at the time. Police confirmed that everyone else had been evacuated safely, and no officers were seriously injured.
The man is presumed to have perished in the fire, although a formal identification is still pending. Investigators are now working to determine the exact cause of the fire, and a law enforcement presence remained at the scene through early Wednesday morning.
