Police arrest armed man who caused evacuation of courthouse in Everett
Photo: Brandon Davis/KCPQ
EVERETT, Wash. -- Officials say a man who prompted the evacuation of a Washington state courthouse has been arrested without incident about a mile away from the building.
The man was arrested around 11:20 a.m. near 38th and Hoyt, south of the courthouse complex. This followed a floor-by-floor search following reports of the man breaking into the main courthouse building.
The break-in happened around 9 a.m. Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Shari Ireton said that a man was seen breaking into the north entrance of the courthouse, on Wall Street, using a crowbar. He was also seen with a knife as he went inside the building.
Deputies soon were inside the courthouse, with Everett police joining them in the search. Other state and local departments also sent support to the courthouse, with K-9 units from several local police departments arriving to start an inside search.
A floor-by-floor search of the entire courthouse complex went on for around 90 minutes, with employees being evacuated. However, the search came up empty.
But not long after the search was being scaled down, a report came in that the suspect had been seen south of the courthouse. Soon after, the man was spotted on 38th Street, near Hoyt, and was quickly arrested without incident. He was then taken to the nearby Snohomish County Jail.
Ireton said that one employee was injured while evacuating the courthouse. That person was treated at the scene and released.