He escaped police once. He wasn’t as lucky a second time

A Kennewick man triggered an hourlong standoff Wednesday morning after trying to flee police a second time.

Washington State Patrol troopers were already looking for Brian Blair after he tried to run from police about a month ago. Blair’s driver’s license was suspended when a trooper spotted and chased him, Trooper Chris Thorson said.

The trooper called off the chase near Vista Elementary school.

On Wednesday, a trooper saw Blair driving near Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge on Canal Drive at 7:50 a.m. and signaled him to stop.

Blair fled again, this time ditching his car and a passenger in a lawn about a block away from his home on Willamette Avenue.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office joined state troopers in surrounding Blair’s home.

About 45 minutes after the standoff started, one of Blair’s neighbors pulled into his own driveway and heard rustling, Thorson said.

The neighbor found Blair hiding in a backyard garage.

Vista Elementary School was placed on a short lockdown while police were in the area.

The sheriff’s office found Jesse J. Kendall, 29, in Blair’s home. Kendall was arrested for outstanding warrants.

This story was originally published January 3, 2018 at 9:43 AM with the headline "He escaped police once. He wasn’t as lucky a second time."