Man barricades himself in West Central home while mother and children are trapped inside

Police on Friday arrested a man accused of breaking into a home while on the run from officers and barricading himself inside as a woman and her young children remained trapped.

Nathan K. Berggren, 22, who police say has a history of assault and resisting arrest, was spotted on surveillance cameras at about 11 a.m. breaking out car windows and slicing tires in the 200 block of East Wedgewood Avenue, according to a police news release. The business owner who was watching Berggren on video said the man drove to a Lowe’s parking lot and fled south, hitting several vehicles.

Police tracked the car to the 2600 block of Boone Avenue and determined Berggren had broken into a home. Police said Berggren was wearing a green ballistic vest that he apparently took from a relative earlier that day when he stated he was going to “hurt people more than they hurt him.”

The release said a woman and several children were still inside the home when Berggren holed up on the first floor. Officers also learned a 4-year-old child was on the second floor.

Officers apparently were able to use a ladder to enter a second floor window while hostage negotiators kept Berggren’s attention.

Police said SWAT officers breached the front door at about 1 p.m. and took Berggren into custody. Patrol officers, hostage negotiators, K-9 units and explosives experts were on scene assisting in the standoff.

Berggren faces a charge of first-degree burglary. Police said more charges could be forthcoming.

The 22-year-old has a lengthy felony criminal history in Spokane County, including theft, malicious mischief, possessing stolen property and third-degree assault on a law enforcement officer.