WCSO 2021 Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 12
RESOLVING
LENGTHY STANDOFF
ARMED MAN SHOOTS AT MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS;
HILLSBORO POLICE AND WASHINGTON COUNTY
TACTICAL NEGOTIATIONS TEAM
Some calls for service may require our
specialized response units to reach a safe
conclusion. One such case unfolded on
August 20, 2021, when a 55-year-old man
fired a gun at a family member and mental
health workers after they arrived to help him
The mental health workers promptly fled
the scene and called 9-1-1 for immediate assistance. Hillsboro Police officers responded to the home, secured the scene, and
called for additional resources, namely, the
Washington County Sheriff’s Office interagency Tactical Negotiations Team (TNT.)
Police obtained a search warrant to enter the
home where the 55-year-old male was alone
inside. Working in tandem with TNT, the
Crisis Negotiations Unit (CNU) attempted
to negotiate with the man. For the next 30
hours, both teams attempted numerous
strategies and contacts with the man to bring
him out of the house and surrender. During
this time, the man in crisis repeatedly
wielded firearms. He fired at officers at
least twice who remained securely behind
their armored rescue vehicles.
While the situation continued, the teams
consulted with local mental health
professionals and physicians for creative
strategies to convince the man to surrender.
Finally, on the afternoon of Saturday, August
21, the man was successfully taken into custody and transported to a local hospital. He
was later lodged in the Washington County
10 | WCSOOregon.org
Jail on attempted assault in the first degree,
unlawful use of a weapon, and menacing.
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to a volatile situation.”
During the lengthy standoff and negotiations, WCSO was extremely fortunate to
have experts from other area SWAT teams
respond with specialized equipment and
support. Thank you to Oregon State Police,
Salem Police Department, Lane County,
Marion County, Clackamas County Sheriff’s
Offices, and the Portland Police Bureau Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) for
their support during this incident. Having
mutually supportive relationships means we
can count on each other to help to resolve
troubling incidents that present extreme
danger to our communities. Additionally,
support teams including the WCSO Incident
Management Team (IMT), WCSO Remotely Operated Vehicle Team (ROVT), and the
Salem Police drone team came to help and
bring this to a peaceful resolution.
