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

SWAT team arrests man at White Elephant

A SWAT team surrounded the White Elephant store on North Division Street on Friday night after a report of a man entering the building through an air duct on the roof. At 7:07 p.m. an employee of the surplus store at 1730 N. Division called police to report that he was across the street and could see someone on the roof of the closed store attempting to enter, Spokane police Cpl. Jon Strickland said. Because of the large amount of guns and ammunition available inside the store, as a precaution police and the city Street Department shut down Division from Indiana Avenue to Augusta Avenue as the SWAT team surrounded the store. Surrounding businesses were alerted to the potentially dangerous situation. Authorities made verbal contact with a man inside the store. He came out the door and was arrested without incident, police said. The SWAT team conducted a sweep of the store to ensure that the man they’d arrested was the only one inside. It was “probably going to be some time” before they cleared the building and reopened the street, Strickland said. The unidentified suspect, who Strickland said is between 27 and 30 years old, faces a burglary charge and possibly other charges related to the incident.