OLYMPIA, WASH. — Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders posted on Facebook on Saturday regarding an arrest following an apartment building standoff. Olympia Police discovered the suspect barricaded inside an apartment unit early Saturday morning.

Officers initiated a SWAT response due to the suspect’s history. Crisis negotiators attempted to communicate with the suspect but were unsuccessful. The suspect threw objects at law enforcement officers during the response.

The suspect attempted to set the apartment complex on fire. Thurston County SWAT evacuated 26 residents and their pets from the apartment complex during the July 18, 2026, standoff due to an active arson threat.

The SWAT team entered the apartment unit using a chainsaw and a pepper-spray ball. A K-9 unit bit the suspect as the SWAT team entered the unit. The suspect was detained shortly after the K-9 engagement. Medics sedated the suspect for transport to the hospital.

The suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of multiple crimes, including felony assault and arson. The incident followed a report earlier in the week regarding a violent assault at a local encampment. Olympia officers received a report earlier in the week of a felony assault in which a man struck a woman in the head with a propane tank at an encampment known as 'The Jungle'. The assault resulted in significant injury to the victim that might cause permanent disfigurement.

Investigators noted the suspect’s extensive criminal record contributed to the tactical approach. The suspect has five prior convictions for assault. The suspect has an active Department of Corrections escape warrant for assault with a deadly weapon. The SWAT team used a chainsaw to breach the apartment door and pepper-spray projectiles to suppress the suspect, as detailed in the regional SWAT situational report.

The arrest resolves a multi-day search for a fugitive wanted for a violent assault that caused potential permanent disfigurement. The standoff required the evacuation of dozens of residents and the deployment of specialized tactical units to manage arson threats and resistance. The use of force, including a K-9 bite and chemical agents, followed failed negotiation attempts and active attempts by the suspect to set the building on fire. The suspect faces charges for both the initial assault and the actions taken during the barricade incident.