SWAT Called for Standoff on 8th Ave in Kelso—Klog 100.7 News

A major police presence was seen late Monday morning and into the afternoon along 8th Avenue in Kelso during a standoff with a wanted man.

The situation began just before 11 a.m. when a male subject with an active warrant refused to exit a residence in the 1100 block of South 8th Avenue, not far from Lad’s & Lassies Park. Kelso Police and Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Deputies responded, and the Lower Columbia SWAT team was called in for backup shortly after.

Authorities say 39-year-old Zachary Benson had barricaded himself inside the home. The standoff lasted for about four hours before Benson was taken into custody shortly before 3 p.m. No shots were fired during the incident.

Benson was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on a parole violation. He has also since been charged with obstructing a public servant and resisting arrest.