— by Lin McNulty —
Sources tell Orcas Issues that Orcas Fire Department has blocked off Olga Road between Tomihi and Crescent Beach, at the request of the Sheriff’s Department, due to a report of a man with a gun.
Personnel from Orcas Fire and San Juan County Sheriff’s Office are currently on the scene.
Further details are unknown at this time and will be reported as they become available.
UPDATE WITH STATEMENT FROM SHERIFF’S OFFICE at 5:30 p.m.
On 01/27/2017 a welfare check on an Orcas Island resident resulted in a standoff at the 1400 block of Olga Road.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office was called to do a welfare check on a 36 year old male, an Orcas Island resident who was last seen at approximately 2 a.m. on that day. He was reported to be an Iraq war veteran who has access to guns and is also suffering from PTSD. The reporting party reported there was blood all over the subject’s residence and was not able to locate him.
Deputies responding to the call located him driving northbound on Olga Road around the Moran State Park entrance. A brief pursuit resulted in the vehicle stopping near the 1400 block of Olga Road. The driver would not exit the vehicle or obey any commands. After a standoff of approximately 3 hours, the suspect was safely removed from the vehicle and taken into custody. He was transported to Peace Island Hospital in Friday Harbor where he is undergoing a mental health evaluation. The only injuries he sustained were to his feet which he had suffered previous to the contact.
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Aren’t you allowed to have an open carry in the state of WA?
Ryan, I don’t think that’s the issue here… It is believed that the man was barricading himself in his car and presenting potential harm to himself and others.
said he has access to guns, did he actually have a gun with him????
Mike, whether or not he actually had a weapon isn’t really the issue. The fact the he could have had one changes how the deputies approach the situation. The combination of a mental health crisis and access to weapons is one that has ended quite poorly elsewhere. I think our deputies were taking a lot of caution to make sure the incident ended without bloodshed.
Bravo to our Sheriff Deputies and Fire Dept. They obviously did the right thing because they managed to get the man to the hospital rather than the morgue.
Let’s get a grip on our Second Amendment Rights. They’re safe; nobody’s taking your guns. However, People with mental health issues and who are under extreme stress do pose a potential threat to those around them. Let’s cheer the good work of our Sheriff’s Dept. This is a time of extreme anxiety for many people and every precaution needs to be taken to ensure we have a happy ending to potential danger. ❤
Brianna, That wasn’t issued in the original report, so I digress.