A frightening situation in Monroe, Washington, ended with deputies pulling a 63-year-old man through the window of his burning home after police say he fired dozens of rounds during a behavioral health crisis. The man believed armed militia members were around his property, even though the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office says those threats weren’t actually there.
Deputies were called to the 10100 block of Woods Lake Road at around 7:25 a.m. on August 17 after the man said he was armed and may have shot somebody inside his home. A neighbor had also reported hearing several gunshots coming from the same general area the night before.
By the time deputies arrived, the situation was getting even more dangerous. The Sheriff’s Office says deputies heard somewhere between 20 and 30 gunshots coming from the house as the man continued firing at what he believed were threats around him.
Then the house caught fire. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the man had set his own home on fire while he was still inside and continued shooting as deputies worked out how to safely reach him.
Deputies Used a Drone To Find Him Inside the Burning Home
Image Credit: Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
Firefighters were called to the scene, but the combination of an active fire and a man firing a gun made getting anywhere near the house incredibly dangerous. Deputies eventually sent up a drone, which helped them figure out where the man was inside the burning home.
Once they found him, deputies on the ground reached the house and helped him escape through a window. Despite the number of shots fired and the fire tearing through the home, the Sheriff’s Office said first responders were able to prevent anyone from being seriously hurt.
The man was taken by ambulance to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. According to the Sheriff’s Office, he was taken there for further evaluation and involuntary behavioral health treatment.
A Dangerous Call Ended With Deputies Trying To Save the Man Inside
The Sheriff’s Office described the incident as an example of just how quickly a behavioral health crisis can turn into a life-threatening emergency. What began with a call from an armed man who believed somebody may have been shot involved dozens of gunshots, a burning house, and first responders trying to get the same armed man out alive.
There are still some unanswered questions in the department’s account, including exactly what led the man to initially believe he had shot somebody. The Sheriff’s Office did make clear, however, that the armed militia members he believed were present were not actually there.
Considering how dangerous the scene became, the ending could have been much worse. Instead, deputies managed to get the man out of the burning house and into medical care without the department reporting any further injuries or loss of life.
Commenters Were Relieved Nobody Was Killed
A lot of commenters seemed to recognize that the man himself must have been terrified by what he believed was happening. One person pointed out how frightening it must have been for him to genuinely believe an armed militia was coming after him, while another said the entire situation must have been scary for everyone involved.
Others thanked deputies for how they handled him once they reached him. One commenter specifically praised officers for showing him kindness and said they hoped he would now get the help he needed.
There were also plenty of questions left behind by the Sheriff’s Office’s post. Commenters wanted to know whether anyone else had actually been inside the house, how the fire started, and what happened while firefighters were at the scene, showing that the unusual call left readers relieved by the ending yet still trying to piece together exactly how everything unfolded.