MLPD conducts operation near Samaritan Hospital

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake Police Department conducted an arrest in a home near the overflow parking lot for Samaritan Hospital, just below the Moses Lake Community Health Center, on Wednesday afternoon. MLPD Chief Dave Sands said the arrest was part of two operations.  

“Both of these things were pre-planned,” Sands said.  

The department is preparing a public release for Thursday associated with a narcotics investigation, associated with the incident at the hospital and another unspecified operation.  

Sands said the suspect had gone into the home after realizing officers were trying to arrest him. While oftentimes law enforcement has to resort to flash bangs and tear gas in similar situations, in this instance, the suspect surrendered before such measures became necessary.  

The MLPD Tactical Response Team assisted with the situation as a precaution, with many of those officers already available. 

“The beauty is the (tactical) team was training today, and so we had them out to help with the arrest anyway,” he said.  

The TRT set up a perimeter around the house primarily as a safety precaution, he said, because who or what was in the home was unknown at the time.  

“It was a friendly house to the suspect and we believed that he had evidence on him when he went in,” Sands said.  

The Columbia Basin Herald will publish more information as it is released by investigators. This story has been updated throughout.