A man attempted to set fire to his own duplex in Cedar Hills. He was arrested after a nearly six hour standoff.
The incident started around 9 p.m. Thursday night. Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a welfare check in the 12900 block of SW Gentry Lane, located in the community of Cedar Hills. Initial reports were that a male was attempting to set fire to his own duplex.
Upon arrival, smoke could be seen coming from the residence intermittently. Deputies quickly surrounded the area and began evacuating nearby homes. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue staged fire crews in the area.
The Washington County Crisis Negotiation Unit and Tactical Negotiations Unit, both inter-agency teams comprised of members from the sheriff's office and local police departments, responded to the incident. Negotiators communicated with the suspect, 47-year-old Roy Merritt, by phone for multiple hours.
Just before 3 a.m., deputies made entry into the residence and took Mr. Merritt into custody. More than one burn pile was found inside the home, which was checked by firefighters and turned over to detectives.
Merritt was lodged at the Washington County Jail for arson in the first degree and reckless endangering.