Former employee of a Yakima business allegedly threatened to kill staff; multi-hour standoff ensued

YAKIMA, Wash. — Following reports that a disgruntled former employee called a business and threatened to kill other staff members, Yakima police investigators recognized the suspect’s history of violence and launched a standoff that ended with a forced arrest.

According to a release issued by the Yakima Police Department, officers responded to the aforementioned business around 7:30 a.m. PST on June 16, 2022. The reporting party claimed that the caller was 62-year-old Charles Hoffert, who they accused of committing prior acts that instilled fear in employees.

Hoffert was known to YPD investigators for being arrested following a March 2020 SWAT incident in which he allegedly fired a high-powered rifle at a power transformer near his property. Because of the suspect’s history, the Yakima Crisis Response Unit was activated to lead the response after YPD officials learned that Hoffert was located at his residence on the 2200-block of Summitview Ave.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Traffic blocked on Summitview Ave in Yakima as officers try to arrest suspect for threats

Officials say that responding officers tried to make contact with Hoffert, who was allegedly non-compliant and made hostile statements during their interaction. A negotiator was brought to the scene to talk through the situation with Hoffert, who allegedly refused to surrender peacefully.

Several hours and various failed negotiations later, Crisis Response teams decided to deploy a police K9 ad chemical agents to apprehend the suspect by force. This operation shut down the roadway for several hours on Thursday evening to keep the public out of harm’s way.

Hoffert was taken into custody around 6:20 p.m. and was booked into the Yakima County Jail. The jail roster has four separate offenses listed: Two counts of harassment, one count of resisting arrest and another for harming a police dog.

This is a breaking news story. An update and/or follow-up may be issued if further details are made public.

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