12-hour Federal Way standoff ends with death of suspect

A 12-hour standoff in Federal Way ended with a shootout and the death of a suspect.

Federal Way police say the 36-year-old suspect was with a woman when they got into a hit-and-run in the 28200 block of Military Rd South shortly before noon Wednesday and then ran from the scene into a neighborhood east of the crash scene.

They then tried to steal a vehicle parked at a home in the 28100 block of 28th Avenue South.

When police arrived, the man got out of the vehicle and broke into the home, which was unoccupied at the time. The woman was taken into custody.

Police set up a perimeter and ordered the man to come out of the home, but he refused.

Officers were then told that there were weapons inside the house and that the man may have armed himself. A SWAT team was called to the scene and negotiators tried to persuade the man to surrender.

After hours with no success, SWAT officers entered the home to try to find the man. After a slow and careful search, he was found in a crawl space.

Police said the man fired at the SWAT officers who then returned gunfire. The man was killed.

Federal Way police say said it is not known if the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound or by officer gunfire.

At some point during the standoff, smoke was seen coming from the home.

The incident is under investigation.