Machete-wielding man taken into custody in North Spokane

A man with a machete drew a sizable police presence to north Spokane on Sunday evening.

At about 5 p.m., several Spokane police officer responded to a call of a male brandishing a machete in the area of Division Street and Rockwell Avenue, according to a police press release. He was reportedly swinging the machete and saying he was “going to war,” at one point swinging the weapon at a 12-year-old girl.

The man, who was later identified as 24-year-old Sean Herman, ran from officers and led them to a parking lot east of Division on Lacrosse Avenue. Police said Herman continued to hold the machete and made “numerous (statements) that he desired officers to shoot him.”

After about 20 minutes, police said they convinced him to drop the machete, and he was taken into custody without incident.

Herman faces charges of obstruction, unlawful handling of a weapon and resisting arrest. He also has an outstanding Department of Corrections warrant.