A welfare check on an Orcas resident resulted in a standoff on Olga Road, which was closed from Tomihi Drive to the intersection of Crescent Beach Drive from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 27.
Orcas Fire and Rescue personnel and San Juan County Sheriff’s deputies kept the road blocked until the suspect was apprehended.
The sheriff’s office was called to do a welfare check on a 36-year-old male who was last seen at 2 a.m. that morning. He was reported to be an Iraq war veteran suffering from PTSD and with access to guns. The reporting party said there was blood all over the subject’s residence but the suspect was nowhere to be found.
Deputies located the man driving northbound on Olga Road around the Moran State Park entrance. A brief pursuit resulted in the vehicle stopping near the 1400 block of Olga Road. The driver would not exit the vehicle or obey any commands. After a three-hour standoff, the suspect was safely removed from the vehicle and taken into custody. He was transported to Peace Island Hospital in Friday Harbor where he is undergoing a mental health evaluation. He sustained injuries to his feet prior to deputies’ taking him into custody.
Staff photo/Hayley Day Sheriff deputies transported the man to PeaceHealth Peace Island Medicial Center around 5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27.
