Soap Lake standoff ends without injury

Man shoots stairs and at police

SOAP LAKE — An argument between a man and his mother resulted with a shotgun fired into stairs and a standoff with Soap Lake Police.

A disagreement between Stephen R. Dillenburg, 21, of Seattle, and his mother allegedly escalated from her attempt to take a shotgun away from him and the weapon firing, to Dillenburg reportedly firing two shots at police after barricading himself in his apartment for nearly two hours, according to Soap Lake Police Chief Jim Dorris.

A call to police brought officers to the Ginkgo Street North apartment. Dorris said officers found Dillenburg allegedly barricaded in his apartment and walking by windows several times, carrying a different rifle with each pass.

Dorris said the incident reportedly began when his mother came to the apartment looking for him.

"She was walking up the stairs and he came around the corner with a weapon in both hands and she said, "What do you think your doing?" Dorris said.

Dillenburg's mother allegedly tried to knock the barrel of the shotgun aside so it wasn't pointing at her, Dorris added.

"The weapon discharged striking the railing and about three stairs," Dorris said. "Mother had enough wits about her to knock (the shotgun) out of his hand and took it."

Dillenburg allegedly turned, entered his apartment and barricaded himself inside, according to Dorris.

While inside the home, Dillenburg reportedly fired seven shots, several through the walls and a door, and two rounds aimed toward police officers, Dorris said. No officers were injured nor patrol cars damaged. The officers did not return gunfire and instead summoned the Moses Lake Regional Tactical Response Team.

At nearly midnight, the team entered the apartment, fired beanbag rounds striking Dillenburg and incapacitating him, before taking him into custody, Dorris said. Dillenberg was booked into the Grant County Jail on multiple counts of assault in the first degree.

After the arrest, police recovered two shotguns, two air rifles, and five .22 caliber rifles. Dorris said Dillenburg reportedly made holes in the walls and a door, possibly to be used as gun ports.

Dorris said the motive for the weapons fire remains unknown as police continue their investigation.