Police: Contact made with suspect before Moscow standoff

MOSCOW — Moscow police said they had contacted Thomas Adams hours before the 54-year-old man allegedly began firing gunshots from his Almon Street apartment in Moscow, an incident that set off a six-hour standoff with law enforcement Tuesday.

Multiple police agencies from around the region responded to Almon Street after residents reported gunshots starting about 2:05 a.m.

Adams allegedly continued to fire off rounds from his apartment throughout the morning. Adams did not respond to the Latah County regional SWAT negotiator, nor did he surrender when police fired nonlethal tear gas to subdue him. When that was unsuccessful, SWAT entered his residence and arrested him without incident.

No injuries were reported.

According to the police report filed by Moscow Police Department Officer Jay Waters, Adams reported a gunshot hours before Tuesday’s early morning standoff.

Police contacted Adams around 11:36 p.m. Monday after he reported hearing a shotgun shell go off nearby.

Adams allegedly claimed he won the lottery while he was in the Persian Gulf and that people on motorcycles were trying to take the money from him. Adams said he went to a neighbor’s house to call the police and that he was afraid to go back to his residence.

While talking to Waters, Adams allegedly said he did not see the people on the motorcycles, could not confirm whether anyone was after him, and could not definitively state the supposed gunshot was directed at him.

Waters escorted Adams back to his apartment and observed at least three AR-15-type firearms on the floor. Waters tried to calm Adams and told him to lock his doors and try to get some sleep.

When Waters responded to the gunshots coming from the 110 S. Almon St. apartment around 2:05 a.m., he heard approximately “50-60 gunshots of various calibers coming from the building” during the next two hours, the police report said.

Police saw that Adams’ sliding glass door on his balcony had been heavily damaged due to gunfire. That, in addition to reports from other residents in the building, led police to believe Adams was the suspect.

The police report said that at one point during the standoff, Adams stepped onto his balcony with a beer, sat down, drank the beer and then went inside.

Adams was charged with unlawfully discharging a weapon, disturbing the peace and resisting and obstructing officers. He made his first court appearance Tuesday in Latah County County Magistrate Court. Moscow Police Capt. Anthony Dahlinger said Tuesday there may be additional charges depending on the ongoing investigation.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.