Irrational and Barricaded Suspect Coaxed into Surrendering
Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies successfully de-escalated an incident where a male suspect barricaded himself in an unattached garage. The suspect appeared to have been hallucinating and believed people were chasing and trying to kill him. Once Deputies got the suspect calmed down, he eventually started to listen and peacefully surrendered. He was charged with Burglary 2nd Degree. At the jail, Detention staff located a plastic baggie containing a white powdery substance believed to be illegal drugs.
On April 8, 2022, at approximately 9:20 p.m., Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a suspicious person call in the 12200 block of N. Nevada Court.
The caller stated a male, wearing a green army-style jacket, was knocking on doors and peering through windows of homes while yelling for people to call 911 because he was being chased.
Arriving Deputies were greeted by neighbors pointing in the direction of where the male was last seen.
Deputy Peterson parked near the home and had two adult females run up to him, explaining the suspect had been in their backyard. As Deputy Peterson checked the backyard, he noticed the unattached garage door was locked, but the male was not located.
The victims stated the door hadn't been locked, and they thought the male could be hiding inside.
Suddenly, the male, later identified as 51-year-old Scott A. Osborne, began yelling from inside the garage. With several Deputies now on scene to assist, multiple attempts to talk to Osborne went unanswered.
Deputy Figueroa looked in one of the windows, and he advised Osborne had stacked equipment in front of the doors, barricading them closed. Osborne began yelling again, stating the Deputies weren’t “real cops” and provided a false name. Deputies continued to try and communicate with Osborne and keep him calm while reassuring him they were, in fact, actual Deputies. The victims even tried to explain that the Deputies were real and Osborne did not have their permission to be in their garage, but all attempts to get him to surrender were unsuccessful.
Deputy Matt Ennis continued to try and build a rapport with Osborne as Deputy Peterson obtained additional information from the victims. One victim stated she was on the couch when she heard a knock on the back-sliding glass door. She noticed a strange man (Osborne) standing at the door when she investigated. She ran away from the door and called the homeowner, who was pulling into the driveway.
Eventually, Osborne was convinced the Deputies were real, and he peacefully surrendered to Deputy Ennis.
Osborne was apologetic, and after being advised of his rights, he explained that he was recently released from a medical center where he was admitted for a mental health crisis. He stated he believed men with automatic weapons were chasing and shooting at him.
Osborne was transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Burglary 2nd Degree. Soon after he was admitted into the jail, Detention staff notified Deputy Peterson they found a plastic baggie containing a white powdery substance believed to be an illegal drug and secured it for disposal. The courts set Osborne’s bond at $5,000.
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