Sunday night standoff in Spokane Valley ends with man booked on nine felonies

Spokane Valley deputies arrested a man suspected of violating a protection order after a standoff on Sunday night ended with a SWAT team entering his apartment just after midnight.

Jacob A. Northrup, 33, was booked into Spokane County Jail on nine felony charges : one violation of a domestic violence protection order and eight counts of first-degree computer trespass, according to a news release from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim of the no-contact order violation told deputies that Northrup came to her residence, attempted to contact her and broke her video doorbell camera. She also said that Northrup accessed her email and social media accounts and locked her out of them by changing the passwords.

She alleged that Northrup contacted her again and threatened to share humiliating information on the accounts if she didn’t meet him in person, the sheriff’s office release said.

Deputies attempted to reach Northrup at his apartment on the 2900 block of North Cherry Lane and confirmed that he was home. Attempts to contact Northrup were unsuccessful, including announcements from a police patrol vehicle with its emergency lights activated. The lights in the apartment were then turned off and the blinds shut.

Northrup was not compliant with police, the release said. A SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called to the scene. Nearby residents were advised to evacuate the building or shelter in place.

At one point, Northrup told law enforcement via text that he was at work and not at his apartment, the release said.

After obtaining a search warrant, the SWAT team entered Northrup’s apartment at 12:25 a.m. and found him lying on the couch, the sheriff’s office said.

“He refused to obey commands, asking deputies to say ‘please,’ ” the sheriff’s office said.

Police fired a less-lethal impact round at Northrup when they say he began to reach for a pocket knife in his pocket. He was then arrested.

In addition to the nine felony charges, Northrup was also booked on two misdemeanors: one count of malicious mischief third-degree and resisting arrest.