Domestic assault report brings DCSO deputies, SWAT team to Tumalo home, prompts area alert, leads to man’s arrest

Nearby residents were advised to stay indoors during 6-hour incident, 'treated as a hostage rescue'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A welfare check on a reported victim of domestic violence and her two young children at a Tumalo-area home Monday morning led to a six-hour Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office presence, including the SWAT team, a warning to area residents to stay inside and a Bend man’s eventual arrest.

Deputies were dispatched to the 64000 block of Tumalo Rim Drive for a welfare check on a female resident and her two children, under age 4, Sergeant Jason Wall said.

Initial reports indicated the woman was a prior domestic violence victim, and that the 47-year-old offending party was there and had assaulted her, Wall said. The caller told dispatchers the woman was too scared to contact law enforcement and that her two young children were with her at the home.

Deputies arrived on scene made a call to the woman, who denied being at the home. But Wall said “deputies were able to determine this was not true” and began steps to have the sheriff’s office SWAT tea respond, where they assumed command of the incident. Sheriff’s detectives also went to the scene to help with the investigation.

"Based on the knowledge of the female being a prior victim of domestic violence, the fact two (young) children were on scene, and the training and experience of the investigators about the cycle of abuse, this incident was treated as a hostage rescue," Wall said in a news release.

Detectives applied for and were granted a search warrant, including all outbuildings and the surrounding property, Wall said.

“All investigative and negotiation tactics were employed during the over six-hour event,” the sergeant said. The woman eventually agreed to come out of the home with her two children, but the man refused to exit.

Nearby residents were notified through the county’s Emergency Preparedness Network regarding the heavy law enforcement presence and were advised a home was surrounded by the SWAT team.

Wall said the neighbors were urged to stay inside and if away from home were urged to make alternate plans to avoid the area, for the time being, as well as to make alternate plans if children were due home from school. But he said they also were advised there was no known active threat to the community.

SWAT team members continued to “loud hail” the home, as they had for ever three hours. Wall said the man eventually came out the back door of the home when deputies breached the front door.

The man was taken into custody and booked into the county jail on a probation violation charge related to an original charge of fourth-degree assault.