Standoff in Yakima Washington Apartments

On Wednesday May 2, 2007 the Quail Ridge Apartments in Yakima, Washington woke up to an exciting yet dangerous reality. There was a standoff, though some thought a hostage situation happening in their apartment complex. It was early morning so most children in the complex were inside getting ready for school. One mom who lives in the back of the complex woke up and got her children ready not knowing what was going on just right outside her door. She got her kids in the car and saw two police cars sitting in the parking spaces across from her. She didn't think anything of it though because this is a normal occurrence around this neighborhood. When she turned the corner to exit the complex she was suddenly faced with the harsh reality of what was really going on. There was a SWAT team, a negotiator, and half of the Yakima Police Department sitting right in front of her. This mother decided to take her children to school anyway. Upon returning to pick up her 2 year old daughter and fiance she was told that she could not re-enter the complex. She spent the next 3 hours at her mother in laws house calling home every couple of minutes to make sure everything was alright.

Yakima Police say there was a 19 year old male in one of the apartments and that he had held a 12 guage shot gun to a 27 year old females head after she refused to have sexual relationships with him. The woman escaped the apartment long enough to call the authorities and then sat outside of the apartment in a car waiting for the police to arrive. When the police arrived they did not knock on the door under the pretense that the man had a gun. They did not want to aggravate the man any further. After numerous attempts at contacting the man the authorities decided to kick the door of the apartment down. When they entered the apartment they realized that it was empty. Police know who the man is and say that a warrant for his arrest will be issued in the next two or three days.

All apartment residents including the woman who could not return are fine, although a little shaken up. " We always realized these apartments weren't the best in the city, but we never dreamed something like this would ever happen so close to home."