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

Wanted felon surrenders to police after four-hour standoff

Thomas Clouse Staff writer

A wanted felon gave himself up Tuesday night after a four-hour standoff in a North Side garage that he had been using as a temporary residence.

Spokane police deployed its SWAT team, mobile command post and even a tent and camp chairs to wait out Gary Wayne Danielson Jr., 26, who had told police that he had a gun with him inside the garage at 4729 N. Napa.

Assistant Chief Jim Nicks said gang unit officers were looking for Danielson on Tuesday. He was wanted on five local felony warrants and an escape warrant from Olympia. They located him Tuesday afternoon, but he ran into the small garage when officers arrived.

Officers surrounded Danielson and brought in the troops, Nicks said. Danielson also had a cell phone. With it, he called his mother, girlfriend and uncle.

“He was looking for good counsel. He was looking at all his options,” Nicks said. “He eventually ran out of batteries. But we also had his cell-phone service shut off, as well.”

Spokane police brought everything from an RV to mobile toilets. One chaplain made several runs to bring police officials coffee and food, as neighbors crowded police tape to watch the action.

“This was pretty much textbook. We brought the resources in and waited him out,” Nicks said. “We kept working with him to convince him that this is not a good way to go.”

Some of the negotiations included yelling through the garage wall, police spokesman Dick Cottam said. Eventually, officers used a “throw phone,” which is a padded telephone that allows the suspect to speak only with police negotiators.

“There were times he was pretty upset,” Nicks said. “He indicated some suicidal tendencies. But he never threatened officers.”

Danielson is a confirmed gang member who was wanted on suspicion of delivery of drugs, burglary, theft, attempting to elude an officer and bail jumping, Cottam said.

Danielson walked out of the garage at 8:05 p.m., without a gun, and gave himself up without incident, Nicks said. A quick search did not find any weapons in the garage.