Last Friday night I was coming home from work and found about 10 police cars lined up blocking the entrance to my neighborhood. Actually they were blocking the entrance to Cory Street, turning off Glencoe and heading West. I parked the car in a nearby neighborhood and walked over to talk to them. Apparently one of my neighbors (across the street and six-eight houses down) had placed himself in what the authorities feared could be a hostage situation and thus the police had shut everything down. Yeah, not cool.
I had nothing to do but stand around and watch this unfold as I was on the cell phone with my wife. She was in the home with our three kids. It was a little nerve racking, 10 police cars with their lights on and a SWAT-like van parked in front of the house of a neighbor on a side street. As I stood there I watched the 10 police cars turned into 20-25. Then I hear someone talk about "TNT" (Tactical Negotiations Team) and I see a 2 big SWAT-like vans drive up. Then I see an amored vehicle pull up. You know, the one that looks like a cross between a mini tank with no gun and a Humvee (the one pictured to the right has it's top down). A couple minutes later a big bus labeled "Mobile Headquarters" pulls up. I'm freaking out and thinking "You've got to be kidding me!"
I've been standing here around 30-40 minutes and have already called my folks in Idaho letting them now what's up. Then I see about 20 civilian vehicles pull in. I watch as normal folks hop out of their vehicles and start getting dressed in fatigues, kevlar vests, helmets, the works. I see what looks like assault rifles and one guy even has a sniper rifle. I can hear them checking and loading their guns. Rubber bullets? Maybe, but I'm sure there were plenty of live rounds loaded. They were treating this as a hostage situation after all.
Finally I have enough and leave. There's nothing I can do but freeze and worry, so I hop in the car and start driving around. I called and talked to my brother in Arizona and listened to how him and his family is doing. That helped me get my mind off things. I drove to a movie theater (it was now 8:30pm) and no shows were going to start for a while so I went and got some food to eat at a Newport Bay Restaurant. I blew $45 on just myself, which is difficult for me to do, especially since I don't drink alcohol. Right before I leave the restaurant (9:45pm) I get a call from Carrie letting me know that they are letting people back into the neighborhood. Nice.
I drive home and as I pull into the neighborhood I see all the news vans set up getting to air their 10:00pm live coverage. I tried recording the coverage so I could post it online, but that didn't quite happen. Oh well. Here's how Fox 12 news covered the story on their website:
Hillsboro Standoff Ends Peacefully
HILLSBORO, Ore. -- A standoff that authorities feared was a hostage situation ended peacefully Friday night in Hillsboro.
The incident began with an argument between a man and his wife inside their Hillsboro home at about 5:45 p.m. Officers said the man was intoxicated and was holding his 3-year-old as he talked on the phone with his therapist.
The man’s wife became afraid and tried to take the boy out of the home with her, but the man wouldn’t let her.
She ran to a nearby Plaid Pantry to call 911.
Police responded and evacuated two homes, while other neighbors were also affected because they couldn’t get past police blockades.
Officers eventually entered the home and found the man and the boy unharmed.
Police said a similar incident with the same man happened in December, but at a different home in Hillsboro. He had barricaded himself and wouldn’t come out for hours.
Police said no crime was committed Friday night, but they were forced to treat it seriously because of the 3-year-old boy and because the man had a history of unpredictable behavior.
NOTE: I realize this post could have benefited a Live Maps mashup showing and explaining everything, but this is my neighborhood, these are my neighbors, and the last thing I want is someone harassing the family involved in this. Hence the vague verbal directions and lack of a map. If you really want to find out who it was, then you can go look it up for yourself, but PLEASE DON'T.