Man Held After Suicide Threat

A 26-year-old man who claimed he had a gun and wanted to go to Eastern State Hospital on Monday went to jail instead.

John Losee, whose address is not known, was booked into the Spokane County Jail for residential burglary and first-degree possession of stolen property. He had warrants for both charges, which carried a combined bond of $15,000.

Police said Losee, who was staying at the Best Western hotel on West Third, called the Spokane Community Mental Health office about 11:30 a.m. He told officials there he had a gun and was going to kill himself and others if they refused to admit him to Eastern State Hospital.

Several witnesses said Losee had a gun in his mouth while he stood in front of his room on the second floor.

Shortly after police arrived, Losee came out of his room. When he saw the officers with their weapons drawn, he tried to jump off the balcony, spokesman Dick Cottam said.

He hung from the balcony railing and several officers reached over and lowered him to the ground.

A gun was not found, and Losee told police he threw it into the Spokane River.

The 20-minute standoff forced police to block an alley behind the hotel and prevent guests from entering or leaving the parking lot.

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