Seattle Police says it is the first department in the state to use a unique protection order to seize a handgun.
On Thursday, SPD’s Crisis Response Squad served an Extreme Risk Protection Order.
The law, approved in 2016, is “designed to temporarily prevent individuals who are at high risk of harming themselves or others from accessing firearms by allowing family, household members, and police to obtain a court order when there is demonstrated evidence that the person poses a significant danger, including danger as a result of a dangerous mental health crisis or violent behavior.”
According to SPD, police have responded to multiple calls regarding the man’s “escalating behavior” over the past year. They site one call in particular where the man was reportedly harassing people at a restaurant while carrying a holstered firearm.
Seattle police filed for the protection order and, after the man failed to turn over his firearms and appear in court for a hearing, took the man into custody Thursday afternoon.
Police recovered a .25 caliber handgun at the man’s apartment.
The Columbian reports law enforcement in Clark County used the same protection order in 2017. But in these cases, guns were handed over willing, without arrest.
