Machete-wielding man taken into custody after 4-hour standoff in Seattle
Jan 14, 2026, 6:59 AM | Updated: 4:14 pm
The machete that was wielded by the suspect in Seattle's University District Tuesday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of SPD)
(Photo courtesy of SPD)
A 47-year-old man was arrested after a near four-hour standoff with Seattle police officers Tuesday.
The suspect was allegedly “menacing officers” with a machete outside of a church, located on N.E. 50th Street in Seattle’s University District, just before 4 p.m. Tuesday.
“The suspect began yelling and throwing trash around the property. He then armed himself with a machete when officers confronted him,” the Seattle Police Department (SPD) stated in its crime blotter. “The man barricaded himself near the building’s main entrance, ignoring police commands.”
Police evacuated the church and surrounded the property. Negotiators, a crisis intervention team, and SWAT were called to the scene. After multiple hours passed with the suspect failing to cooperate, “less lethal tools” were deployed to take him into custody.
“Our SWAT officers had to use a number of less-than-lethal tools, and ultimately we did use a taser to take the suspect into custody,” SPD Detective Eric Munoz said.
The suspect was booked into the King County Jail for felony harassment, possession of a deadly weapon, and obstruction. Additionally, the church permanently trespassed the suspect from the property.
“This was a safe resolution. None of our officers were injured. Nobody in the church was injured, and that gentleman is in custody,” Munoz said.
Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.
