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

Suspect in SWAT standoff found with open gas tanks

The Spokane Valley man arrested Sunday after a four-hour standoff with a Spokane County SWAT team barricaded himself in a shop with open acetylene tanks, court documents said today. Christopher L. Ferrell, 35, is accused of domestic violence assault and malicious mischief for allegedly putting his wife in a chokehold and slashing his sister-in-law’s tires after an argument in the early hours of Sunday morning. He allegedly locked himself in a shop outside his mother’s house in the 17000 block of East Fifth Avenue and threatened to burn the building down while fleeing from police, court documents say. The standoff began around noon, when Ferrell’s mother called police to report the threats he had made. Deputies arrived and smelled chemicals coming from the shop, according to a department news release. After multiple announcements and attempts to negotiate, a SWAT team used irritant gas in an attempt to get Ferrell to leave the shop. Deputies found open oxygen and acetylene tanks inside, which they believe could have easily caused an explosion or fire. When Ferrell exited the shop, he did not respond to officer commands and reached inside his jacket as if he had a weapon, the release said. Officers used a K9 and impact rounds to arrest Ferrell. He faces second-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief charges and remains in jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.