33-year-old man arrested after 5-hour Kennewick SWAT standoff
A man spent more than five hours barricaded in a Kennewick home after allegedly threatening to kill his roommate.
Devon Rex, 33, allegedly threatened to kill his roommate about 3 a.m. Tuesday at a home on the 4600 block of West Grand Ronde Avenue, according to a Facebook post from Kennewick police.
The victim called 911 and escaped the home with others who were inside.
Details about what led to the threats weren’t immediately available.
Rex has a history of run-ins with police stemming from mental health issues, Kennewick Officer Easton Clem told the Tri-City Herald. He didn’t have any information about whether Rex’s actions were caused by the same problems.
When police arrived at the home, they found Rex had barricaded himself inside and was believed to have a large knife.
Because he had a weapon, police asked for the Tri-City Regional SWAT to come in and help.
SWAT used a drone to search the residence and threw in a communication device to talk with negotiators on the scene.
After nearly five hours of negotiating with Rex, he surrendered peacefully, Clem said.
He was booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of malicious mischief and felony harassment.