SWAT Standoff Ends With No One In Motor Home

A two and a half hour standoff shut down I-205 between Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA this past Saturday. Police stopped the motor home on the bridge that crosses the Columbia River around 3pm and discovered the vehicle had been stolen.

The driver fled, but officers thought they saw someone moving inside the motor home. So they closed down both the north and south bound lanes and called for anyone inside to come out. No one did. Finally around 5:30pm, SWAT members entered the motor home, and soon realized why no one came out. Because there was no one inside.

However, Washington State Patrol Spokesman Will Finn said, "I know a lot of folks were hampered. We know this was an inconvenience for them and we appreciate their patience. Sometimes those decisions have to be made for the safety of the public and of officers."

While I agree with the safety issue and being inconvenienced slightly isn't that big of a deal. But this is a heavily used bridge. Especially on a Friday during rush hour. There are two bridges that go from Portland to Vancouver, and most people are heading north at the end of the day, because the traffic is people who work in Portland, but live in Vancouver.