Man arrested after setting Vancouver apartment on fire
Fire crews say they arrived on the scene just after 5 p.m. to reports of a man in distress.
By Jeffrey Lindblom
Click here for updates on this story
VANCOUVER, Washington (KPTV) — A scene at a Vancouver apartment complex drew heavy police and fire presence Friday night.
Neighbors who spoke with FOX 12 said everything began to unfold around 4 p.m.
Fire crews say they arrived on the scene just after 5 p.m. to reports of a man in distress. Suddenly, more reports of smoke and a fire started coming in and a man could be heard yelling aggressively from a balcony while the fire continued to burn prompting police to get involved.
Police said the man also made statements he was armed.
For hours, the fire continued while crews let police work and kept the flames from spreading, evacuating the building and attracting the attention of concerned neighbors.
The man continued to yell from the balcony, meanwhile, police continued to try and de-escalate the situation to no avail. Eventually, explosives were used, presumably to try and remove the individual.
Police made their way to the balcony and pulled the man out of the building. He was eventually taken on a stretcher to an ambulance where he continued yelling at rescuers and the large crowd that gathered as the ambulance took off.
Vancouver police said the man was later taken into custody. His name has not been released.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
