Police Department

SPD Arrests Suspect After a Standoff Lasting Several Hours

Ofc. Joshua Laiva

Friday, March 10, 2017 at 4:06 p.m.

Spokane Police arrest suspect hiding in attic of residence after a standoff lasting several hours.

Today March 10, just before 9AM, Spokane Police Officers responded to a residence in the 1200 block of W. 17^th Ave., for the report of an assault. Upon their arrival, they located the victims outside the residence and learned the suspect, 34 year old Steven G. Serpa, was held up inside the residence. The SWAT team, EDU, and Hostage Negotiators were utilized and responded to the scene to assist with taking Serpa into custody. Serpa did not respond to the verbal commands from the SWAT team or the Hostage Negotiators. A search warrant was obtained, and the SWAT team conducted a search of the residence for Serpa. The SWAT team utilized several tools such as a robot and K9 to search the residence for the suspect. Serpa was located hiding in the attic by Spokane Police K9 Talon. Serpa was contacted by K9 Talon, and taken into custody for Assault 2^nd and Unlawful Imprisonment. Serpa was also suspected to be under the influence of drugs.

The roads in the area were closed for several hours during the investigation, however they are now reopened.

The highly trained and dedicated members of the Spokane Police SWAT team are utilized in situations like this one to protect the community, along with the suspects, and minimize the risk of injury to the involved parties.

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