Just after 5 p.m on March 5, the Bellevue Police Department (BPD) responded to a 911 from Bellevue College (BC) about a man in crisis with a weapon on campus.
Meeghan Black, public information officer for BPD, said the man is in his 60s and has barricaded himself in his vehicle. He had asked someone for help, telling them he was in trouble. That person fled from him because “the man had a gun,” Black said.
The individual the man sought help from called 911.
Black said the man, who is “not a Bellevue College student or faculty,” was incoherent and as of 8:15 p.m. Thursday, is still barricaded inside his vehicle. Bellevue police is currently negotiating with him, she said, after delivering a cell phone to him at about 8 p.m. The man’s cell phone had run out of batteries. The phone was delivered via a bomb squad robot, Black said.
Prior to receiving the phone, he had not been communicative, she said.
“We’re just hoping for a successful resolution,” Black said.
In response to the situation, BC sent out an emergency alert stating that the school’s main campus is closed the remainder of the evening due to the police activity, which is near student housing.
“All classes [on the] main campus are cancelled,” the alert reads.
Students and staff have been told to avoid the north side of the main campus, according to the alert.
Black said people have been told to leave through the south end or main entrance of campus.
In consideration of how we voice our opinions in the modern world, we’ve closed comments on our websites. We value the opinions of our readers and we encourage you to keep the conversation going.
Please feel free to share your story tips by emailing [email protected].
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.bellevuereporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 300 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it.
→ Continue reading at Bellevue Reporter