Seattle SWAT arrest Greenwood man for allegedly threatening mosque

Seattle police called in a SWAT team and negotiators to a North Seattle neighborhood Tuesday afternoon after receiving information about threats made to a local mosque.

The incident happened in the wake of other threats made to a mosque in Redmond.

Related: Online threats made to Seattle-area mosques

The suspect, a 37-year-old man, has been taken into custody. Police were notified by the man’s out-of-state friend about threats he was reportedly making online.

“We received information about Internet threats, and working with our partners, we were able to respond,” Captain Sean O’Donell said.

“We take this very seriously,” he said. “We are very aware of the situation in Orlando and we are taking steps to ensure the safety of the individuals at the mosque … we received information and acted on it immediately out of an abundance of caution.”

The man allegedly posted threats to the Seattle mosque over the Internet. In a separate online post he also allegedly claimed to have purchased an assault rifle and extra ammunition.

Police made contact with the man at his Greenwood apartment at around 3:30 p.m. He came out on his own volition, police said.

Police reportedly had contact with the same man in the past over other harassing comments he made to another local mosque. Seattle police are working with the FBI to further investigate the matter. The man is currently being investigated for malicious harassment, according to Seattle police. It is expected that he will be booked into King County Jail.

Police stationed outside the Idriss Mosque off Northgate after arresting a man for threats pic.twitter.com/PesFhiE4zk

— Henry Rosoff (@HenryKIRO7) June 15, 2016

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