Man accused of terrorizing Tacoma neighborhood held on $5M bail

A man accused of terrorizing his Northeast Tacoma neighborhood has pleaded not guilty to six felony charges, including attempted murder, assault and malicious mischief.

Michael E. McBee, 65, was ordered held on $5 million bail.

The Vietnam War veteran with a history of mental illness was arrested after a nearly five hour standoff with police Tuesday, during which a SWAT team bombarded his Fife Heights home with tear gas and concussion grenades.

Drunk and armed with what authorities described as an arsenal of weapons, including handguns and “high-powered rifles,” the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said McBee began to fire shots into homes and at neighbors around 4 p.m. Tuesday.

According to court documents (pdf), McBee targeted a man down the street whom he had an ongoing dispute with and got into a physical altercation with the week prior.

Prosecutors allege McBee fired shots at the man, his wife and another resident, narrowly missing them. Detective Ed Troyer said at least three homes and two cars were damaged.

Neighbors were evacuated from nearby homes and others were told to seek shelter inside.

“At this point we’re not clear on what his motives were, but his intentions were to shoot people,” said Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “It is a miracle that no one was killed.”

According to a woman who lives down the street from the suspect, McBee made threats in the past to “take neighbors out.”

“He has a little bit of a drinking problem, but I didn’t think that he would do this,” Anita Strom said. “I hope he gets help.”

According to Troyer, McBee crashed his truck into a ditch last week and was arrested for DUI. He said alcohol, medication and a small marijuana grow operation could have been factors in the shooting and standoff.

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Photos from the standoff