New details reveal how the Cascade Pizza standoff unfolded, from a self-placed 911 call to the moment the suspect climbed the fence. (Photo: PNW Daily)
SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. — New details show how Wednesday’s armed standoff at Cascade Pizza actually unfolded, from the moment the suspect walked in the door to the moment he started climbing the patio fence.
The entire scene started earlier that Wednesday, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon had already warned local law enforcement about the man. Police said Oregon investigators wanted the man in a violent felony case and believed he had several firearms. Police said they had already detained another person connected to the investigation outside Skagit County.
Authorities say the suspect arrived at Cascade Pizza on foot, after initially being unable to find his local target. Surveillance footage reviewed by PNW Daily shows him concealing a shotgun inside a backpack as he approached on the street outside; no vehicle appears anywhere in the footage.
He Ordered Food, Then Called Police on Himself
Inside the restaurant, the suspect is seen walking through the back door of the establishment. Video from inside Cascade Pizza shows the pistol-grip shotgun protruding from the backpack as he walks in.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the suspect calmly ordered a pizza and a drink, then went out to the restaurant’s fenced-in back patio. He ate food and was there 45 minutes, but he never went behind the bar, the source said, disputing what other outlets have reported.
On the patio, he began yelling loudly in what the source described as an incoherent manner.
He asked a bartender to borrow her cellphone, then used it to call 911 on himself, making statements dispatchers described as nonsensical. Later, he called 911 again, adding threats toward himself and others and telling dispatchers he was armed. Investigators pinged those calls to his location, leading them directly to Cascade Pizza.
Staff Had No Idea, Until the Highway Went Silent
Restaurant staff had no idea what was happening outside on the patio as the suspect called 911.
According to the source, an off-site employee called in to say emergency responders had shut down SR 20. That call is what tipped off management.
Looking outside, they noticed the traffic had disappeared and realized the restaurant itself was surrounded.
Officers Arrive and Lock Down the Building
Sedro-Woolley officers and Skagit County sheriff’s deputies reached the Cascade Pizza area and set up a containment perimeter around the business.
“Officers responded to the area of the 800 block of SR 20. There, SWPD Officers and Skagit County Deputies established containment around the business. Members of the Skagit County Crisis Negotiations Team and the North Cascades Regional SWAT Team arrived to assist. Units could see that the suspect was armed with a shotgun.”
Sedro-Woolley Police Department
Restaurant management stepped outside to investigate, and law enforcement approached them directly. That person let officers, including SWAT, into the restaurant, and police locked down the business and staff escaped.
The authorities used the moment to contain the suspect sitting alone on the patio, according to the source, far easier to isolate than if he had been inside among other customers and staff.
Sealed Alone on the Patio
Law enforcement then used the restaurant’s own surveillance system to monitor him. SWAT officers had locked the heavy metal door connecting the patio to the interior, isolating him there, and eliminating any possible paths of escape.
Officers tried to open communication with him while they held the perimeter.
Loaded, Agitated and Trying to Get Back In
The cameras showed him load the shotgun with shells. According to the source, he then pulled out what appeared to be a bottle of whiskey and drank from it. Afterward, he carried the loaded shotgun to the same locked door and tried to force his way back inside.
When the door held, he grew visibly angry and agitated, the loaded weapon still in his hand. Only after that did he start trying to climb the fence.
After several tries, the suspect eventually made it over the fence, straight into the containment perimeter officers had built around the building. There, Sedro-Woolley police officers and Skagit County deputies took him into custody without further incident.
Aftermath and Who He Is
By 4:15 p.m., Sedro-Woolley police were still asking the public to stay away from the 800 block of West SR 20 because of the multi-agency response, but the danger was over. Officials reported no injuries.
“We greatly appreciate our partners’ assistance in resolving this incident safely. We also greatly appreciate the cooperation of our citizens and business owners.”
Sedro-Woolley Police Department
The source said restaurant management is thankful for the response too, crediting the multiple agencies involved for keeping everyone safe and ensuring no one got hurt.
Lane County, Oregon, detectives have since identified him as 47-year-old Tyler Earl Essex and charged him with murder in the death of 44-year-old Yuvonne Allison. Deputies found her dead of multiple stab wounds at a South River Road home in Oregon on Aug. 19, hours before Essex turned up in Sedro-Woolley.
PNW Daily’s original coverage of the standoff has additional background. PNW Daily will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
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