Police Department

UPDATE: Standoff in East Spokane

Cpl. Teresa Fuller

Friday, January 27, 2017 at 9:26 a.m.

After over 8 hours, a standoff situation in east Spokane has now ended. The Spokane Police Department has taken Benjamin P Ellis (30) into custody. He will be booked into Spokane County Jail as a Fugitive with warrants out of Idaho and will be facing additional charges from the incident tonight.

Just before 11:00pm tonight, January 27, 2017, the Spokane Police Patrol Anti-Crime Team (PACT), acting on investigative information involving a wanted fugitive who has known to be armed in the past, responded to a house in the 2100 block of east Cataldo. Just before midnight, officers saw the wanted male, Benjamin Ellis, run into the home. They also took another male, William L Taylor (53), into custody in front of the house who was armed with a handgun. He was booked into Spokane County Jail for 2nd Degree Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

Officers surrounded the home and served a search warrant after numerous failed attempts to get Ellis to come out on his own accord. During the course of their investigation, they had received information he was armed. Crestline and Cataldo in the area were closed to help ensure the safety of the officers involved, the community, and the suspect. Just before 8:30am, a K9 was sent into the home and located Ellis. SWAT officers were then able to take his safely into custody.

Ellis has a number of previous felony convictions. Officers will continue their investigation at the home; searching for the firearm he was reportedly armed with as well as investigating the cause of a fire that started during the standoff.

Resources from the SWAT, EDU, and Hostage Negotiation teams as well Spokane Fire Department, Avista, and the Water Department, were called in an effort to bring this situation to a peaceful resolution. The Spokane Police Department would like to take a moment to thank the neighborhood affected by this incident. The successful outcome of this incident was due in large part to their cooperation and assistance.

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