Jan. 5, 2026 — Oak Harbor, Wash. A kidnapping victim described being held at gunpoint for three hours by a 38-year-old domestic violence suspect during an overnight crime spree spanning three counties, which ended with the suspect shot and killed by police in Everett.
The spree began Thursday night at Calvary Chapel on the 3800 block of French Road in Clinton on Whidbey Island, where the suspect confronted his ex-wife while she was working. He pulled a gun on people trying to get him to leave. Responding officers were shot at by the suspect, who then fled into nearby woods.
The suspect then arrived at a sober-living home on SW Lansdale Street in Oak Harbor, where he forced a former housemate—the kidnapping victim—into the victim’s own vehicle at gunpoint. The pair drove to a home on the 1200 block of Kendra Lane in Burlington, where the suspect held the victim captive for about three hours while appearing paranoid and possibly under the influence of drugs.
“I was just horrified, I was scared. I’ve never had anything like that happen before, and I don’t wish it on anybody,” the victim said.
“He was high on something. He was just all whacked out. He told me he wasn’t going to go alive. He wasn’t going to be taken alive, because this was his third strike.”
The suspect eventually released the victim, handing back his keys, apologizing, giving him $20 for gas, and saying he was free to go.
Later in Burlington, police attempted a traffic stop on the suspect as he left in a vehicle with another person. The suspect shot the driver, causing non-life-threatening injuries, and fled, sparking a multi-agency pursuit. The chase concluded early Friday morning in Everett, where officers shot and killed the suspect during a confrontation. No officers were injured.
The unidentified suspect, who had a history of addiction struggles according to acquaintances, was involved in the spree that left another man hospitalized. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released his name.
“It’s too bad he died, but you know, that’s the choice he made. I don’t know, to me, it’s a bad choice,” the victim added.
Investigators described the events as part of an overnight crime spree across multiple counties. Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the pursuit.
