Man killed in Capitol Hill standoff called 'mentally unstable'

SEATTLE  -- The man shot and killed in a police standoff Friday morning has been identified as a 28-year-old who was known to police.

Police said they had run into the man multiple times in the past because he was mentally unstable. His identity has not been released.

The incident began about 3 a.m. after neighbors called 911 saying the man had a gun and that he shot it at least fives times on the fifth floor of the building.



Another caller reported seeing an armed man in the elevator.

When officers arrived on the scene in the 100 block of Bellevue Avenue East, no one was injured. But when they got close enough to the man’s unit, they heard what sounded like video instructions on how to use a gun.

The SWAT team and negotiators rushed to building, but the man would not come out or cooperate with negotiators.

The man was seen by a window holding a gun in his left hand and the building was evacuated during the standoff and nearby roads were shut down for safety.

During the standoff, the man called a few local news stations. including Q13 FOX News. He sounded calm but irrational and requested that his story “get out.”

After an eight-hour standoff, police said the man got into what looked like a shooting position and pointed the gun at officers. Police said he repeatedly told officers he was defending himself against "zombies" and refused to surrender his guns.

Shortly before 10:30 a.m., the man fired through an open window onto Denny Way. Two officers returned fire and the man dropped to the ground. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Police sent in a robot before going into the unit because they thought the place may have been booby trapped. It is not known whether or not the man intended to be shot and killed by police or not.

Earlier this year, police were called to a business after the man was trying to ship a suspicious package. Police also said there is Youtube video of the man that shows his mental instability.