Former Seattle police hostage negotiator Eugene Schubeck is receiving mental health treatment in Utah while awaiting trial for pointing a firearm at his son and threatening to kill his estranged wife, according to documents released by the Mount Vernon police department.
Schubeck is charged with first-degree DV assault and felony DV harassment with threats to kill. He is out on a $100,000 bond and receiving treatment at a mental health facility in Utah that specializes in police, fire and EMTs. While conditions of release typically prevent those on bail from leaving the state, Schubeck was granted an exception to pursue treatment in exchange for waiving his right to extradition proceedings, according to Skagit County court documents.
MVPD arrested Schubeck after a five-hour standoff in the early morning of Sept. 27, 2022. He had pointed a .38 revolver at his adult son during an argument at his home the night before. Schubeck was drinking and became upset about his wife, with whom Schubeck runs a dog training facility.
Since the two separated, the woman had begun seeing their business partner. Weeks earlier, Schubeck ran into the two at a bar where he threatened to murder his wife’s boyfriend and burn their business down.
The verbal dispute escalated when Schubeck accused his son of taking the side of his mother and her boyfriend. The son was preparing to leave the house when Schubeck pointed his gun and threatened to shoot him in the head, according to police reports. Schubeck’s son was also armed and had his weapon drawn. After a tense stand-off, the son and his roommate left.
Schubeck and his son continued communicating by phone and text. He made repeated suicidal statements. The wife called the Mount Vernon police and they began preparing for a SWAT deployment to serve the arrest warrant.
His son recieved a text saying “Should I prepare for a siege?” Schubeck told his son that he “would not be arrested” and was willing to “kill cops.” He also gave his son his bank account passwords and told him to look after the family dog.
Schubeck was ultimately taken into custody without incident after negotiating his surrender via phone with MVPD. Upon searching the home, police found a massive arsenal with “too many different firearm magazines with ammunition to count.” One officer wrote that “the entire residence had firearms, ammunition, or firearm parts in every room.”
While MVPD confiscated some of the guns in the home, many remain at his residence locked in gun safes despite an Extreme Risk Protection Order that prevents Schubeck from owning firearms. Schubeck’s son told police that his father had legally transferred them to him and provided the paperwork.
He told police that Schubeck doesn’t know the combination and that he wouldn’t let him access the guns. When asked how police could be sure that this wouldn’t happen, the son told them “because my dad pointed a gun at me last night.”
Schubeck’s trial date is currently set for April 10, 2023.
Check out Mr. Schubeck’s storage units in Bellingham, Washington.
An arsenal of assault weapons, ammunition and live hand grenades.