Man brandishing sword causes lockdowns at daycare, Christ the King School

A man wielding a sword in central Richland and pounding on the doors and windows of a daycare, forced it and nearby Christ the King School into lockdown Tuesday afternoon until police subdued him with tasers.

Police were called to the intersection of Williams Boulevard and Stevens Drive at 2:48 p.m. after someone called 911 reporting a man walking around with a sword described as a katana, said Richland police.

The man, later identified as Steven L Houtrouw, 29, tried to force his way into a daycare in the area of Central United Protestant Church by pounding on outside doors and windows with the sword.

When officers arrived they found that Houtrouw down the street outside Christ the King School still wielding the sword.

“Officers attempted to calm Houtrouw down and gain control of him but he refused to put the sword down,” the release said, adding that the man yelled at police to shoot him.

Police used their tasers on Houtrouw, causing him to drop the sword, but he continued to resist arrest.

After Houtrouw was evaluated at Kadlec Regional Medical Center, he was to be booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of attempted burglary and weapons violations. The case also will be sent for evaluation by a mental health professional.

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Man brandishing sword causes lockdowns at daycare, Christ the King School."