YakTriNews.com
Police captain says it was an absolute community failure
April 16, 2021 6:35 PM Emily Goodell
Updated:
YAKIMA, Wash. A 32-year-old man accused of attacking a bicyclist with a machete outside Home Depot in Yakima was taken into custody Wednesday after a four-hour-long standoff with police officers.
Yakima Police Capt. Jay Seely said the man was in crisis due to substance abuse issues and officers were able to use de-escalation techniques to calm the situation down, despite onlookers’ attempts to provoke the suspect into attacking police.
“The public standing behind the police, trying to make [the suspect] make a bad decision and trying to accelerate the situation is so disappointing,” Seely said. “This is an absolute community failure.”