Kittitas County: Teenager dies during arrest at Cle Elum residence

A 15-year-old boy was found dead inside a residence in Cle Elum, Washington, on Monday afternoon.

The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office responded to a request from King County Juvenile Court Services to serve an arrest warrant on the teenager, who was staying in the area. Deputies arrived at the home located near Big Creek Road and Nelson Siding Road to take the teen into custody. Communication with the teenager broke down around 11 a.m. Monday, and he remained inside the house. Authorities subsequently called in the Kittitas County Regional Tactical Response Team and crisis negotiators.

Negotiators made repeated attempts to contact the teen after officials secured a search warrant permitting entry. The teenager did not respond to these calls. At approximately 2:30 p.m., tactical team members entered the residence and discovered the boy dead. Officials stated that no members of the tactical team fired their weapons during the operation. The incident concluded by 4:20 p.m.

Authorities have not yet released the cause of death or the specific charge associated with the King County arrest warrant. The Washington State Patrol was requested to conduct an independent review of the incident and document the scene.