SWAT Team Used To Arrest Man Accused Of Stealing Guns

A SWAT team was brought in to assist with the arrest of a wanted Wenatchee man in the Leavenworth area Wednesday evening.

Chief Seth Buhler of the Chelan County Sheriff's Office says the Wenatchee Police Department had recently established probable cause to apprehend 27-year-old Colton Swint for allegedly stealing guns.

"Due to the nature of him being in possession of these firearms we decided to use the East Cascade SWAT Team in conjunction with the Columbia River Drug Task Force. They came up with an arrest plan and we conducted it on U.S. Highway 2 near Prey's Fruit Barn between Peshastin and Leavenworth. That's where we stopped the vehicle that Swint was driving and took him into custody."

Swint surrendered peacefully and was apprehended without incident.

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Buhler says it's not unusual to call in the SWAT team for assistance in cases such as this.

"If there's going to be firearms involved, a lot of times there'll be at least a consultation with SWAT. So the decision to use them for this arrest was made through that process."

Swint was booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center on two counts each of theft of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm, as well as one count of first-degree burglary.

According to court records, Swint is not legally allowed to possess firearms due to an arrest for domestic violence last year that has yet to go to trial.