A man was spotted with a gun on West Bay Drive Sunday morning. Here’s what happened next
A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of multiple crimes Sunday after he was seen waving what appeared to be a shotgun at West Bay Park, according to Olympia police.
Police pursued him through the yards and garages of multiple homes in the neighborhoods near Crestline Boulevard, a street that runs up a steep hill that overlooks West Bay.
“It was a very scary situation for that northwest neighborhood,” Olympia police Lt. Paul Lower said Tuesday.
About 11:45 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to West Bay Park on West Bay Drive after a 911 caller reported that a man was waving a gun in the air and pointing it at birds. That caller then gathered her family and left the park, telling police the man was headed north along the shore.
Multiple officers responded and launched a drone, which allowed them to see the man as he made his way up into the Crestline Boulevard area, Lower said.
Officers caught up with him and commanded the man to stop, but he fled, according to police. He then ran through backyards, in and out of garages, in and out of garden sheds, and in and out of at least one residence, Lower said.
Several people called 911, including one person who said the man was lying down in her garden.
The man was eventually taken into custody on Blossomwood Court Northwest, but without the gun, Lower said. Police think the man may have ditched it during the pursuit. A police dog could not find it, he said.
After the man was arrested, he claimed the weapon was a BB-gun, Lower said. He was booked on suspicion of second-degree burglary and displaying a weapon. He also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest from the state Department of Corrections, Lower said.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 11:01 AM.
