A woman died at Seattle's Cal Anderson Park Wednesday evening and her death is being investigated as a domestic violence homicide, according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
According to SPD, officers responded to the northeast portion of the park around 8 p.m. as Seattle Fire Department medics were performing CPR on the woman. The woman was declared dead at the scene and detectives determined the cause of death was a homicide, SPD said in a blotter post.
While officers were at Cal Anderson Park, SPD said it received a report that a man had broken into the pump house on the west side of the park. Officers spoke to witnesses and determined the man and the deceased woman had a relationship and were staying in a “makeshift shelter” in the park earlier Wednesday night.
As officers attempted to get the man out of the pump house, he barricaded himself in the building, prompting a standoff. Negotiators were brought to the scene to help apprehend the suspect, and a SWAT team was eventually called to the scene. The SPD said SWAT officers tried to get the man to surrender peacefully, but he refused to come out of the building.
When SWAT officers entered the building around 12:30 a.m., they found the man dead at the bottom of a 10-foot tank. The SPD said the tank contained around 50 gallons of 12% bleach solution.
Seattle Fire responded to the pump house with a HAZMAT team to help recover the man’s body from the tank.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Seattle Police Department Violent Crimes tip line at (206) 233-5000.
Seattle's Cal Anderson Park, which was part of the CHOP zone, was cleared out this summer after police and the parks department did a sweep of the area.