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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Police: Burglary suspect taunted officers from his roof — right before he fell

From staff reports
Spokane Police said they arrested a 32-year-old man early Tuesday after he tried to burglarize a neighbor at gunpoint, then took a tumble from his icy roof while taunting responding officers. Brent Nouwels faces charges of attempted residential burglary and harassment after a neighbor told police he was standing, armed, outside her window around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday. While on the phone with police, the neighbor told police Nouwels tried to kick in the door of the home. The would-be burglar fled back to his house on the 5100 block of North Monroe Street when officers arrived on scene, police said. After more than an hour of trying to contact Nouwels by phone and loudspeaker, police watched him climb from a bedroom window to his roof, where he told officers he wanted to fight them, according to a news release. Shortly thereafter, Nouwels fell from the roof to waiting officers below who took him into custody without incident. Nouwels was treated for injuries and then booked into jail. He could make an initial appearance on the charges as early as this afternoon.