Just after 11am on April 3, 1997 the city of Seattle experienced the strangest and most bizarre 11 hours I can remember. The day started off like any other but before lunch, one man with a sword shut this place down and pissed off everybody.
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| Tony "Apollo" Allison |
The story goes that an off-duty cop spotted a man in a leather jacket and camouflaged pants carrying a sword and “disturbing” passers-by. The copper followed the man through Pike Place Market where he took a left on Pike, and headed up to 2nd.
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| South on Pike Place |
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| East on Pike Street after turning left off Pike Place |
There, the man took what the police report described as a "defensive stand" and refused to drop his sword. The cop called for back-up and the great Seattle Street Samurai Standoff began.
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| 2nd and Pike. Scene of standoff. |
I vividly remember thinking that the entire thing was blown way way out of control and even the news was reporting that the man, Tony “Apollo” Allison hadn’t acted aggressively toward anyone, including the cops. He was just packing a sword. Is that not his prerogative? I’m not saying the guy wasn’t weird but, aside from some overly dramatic poses and some unintelligible phrases, he seemed no more harmful or crazy than any of the other folks who lived with him in City Hall Park.
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| City Hall Park 450 3rd Avenue |
I honestly thought I could handle the situation better than the cops were. (We all did) But it took a while to figure out what the situation was. Were the cops trying to get the sword from him? Was he not letting people walk by on the sidewalk? It was all confusing and the news reports were vague. The police cordoned off the streets and decided the best way to communicate with him would be via bullhorn. Thank goodness for that because the news cameras were able to pick up the sound and we all learned that yes, the cops just wanted him to put down the sword.
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| Cops communicate with Apollo |
They asked him nicely to put down the weapon and surrender; he refused. They offered him $50 for his sword; he ignored their bribe. They tempted him with a Big Mac; he held fast. They spoke fondly of his dead brother in hopes of changing his mind; he was unmoved. They tried reverse psychology on him, telling him Satan was preventing him from surrendering; he wasn't fooled by their lies. They shined bright lights at him; he wore shades. Rubber bullets were tried; he repelled them through sheer willpower. It seemed nothing could stop Apollo from standing his ground on the sidewalk.
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| Standing his ground |
Seattleites were not happy. Traffic was brought to a stand-still and businesses were evacuated. Hundreds called 911 demanding action and offering advice on how to deal with this unexpected menace to civilization. Some suggested throwing a net over him (Couldn’t he just cut it with his sword?) and others said to shoot him with tranquilizer darts. After nearly half a day unbudged from his sidewalk post, Apollo was finally brought down using a tactic of tear gas, cold water sprayed by fire hoses, and exposure to a giant fan – advice from medical experts, to weaken his muscle control through hypothermia. They decided they’d follow that by pinning his body against the building with a 12-foot ladder. Even with these extreme measures, he showed high levels of resilience. The high-pressure hoses were only able to knock him down temporarily and it took nearly three minutes to finally get the sword out of his hand.
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| Apollo finally met his match with the tear gas and fire hoses |
Assistant Police Chief Ferguson had this to say after the standoff: "I've never seen anything like it in my 30 years. I don't want to make an icon out the guy, but I simply had to marvel at his ability to withstand all of that." We learned that Tony had been released from Western State Hospital the year before the standoff after being there ten years. Not because anyone thought he was ready, but because he'd served his time. He was sent there after he pled not guilty by reason of insanity to a charge of second-degree assault with intent to rape. Once out, he became a homeless alcoholic. He was also a loner who strutted along the streets in his fatigues and military beret. He usually carried a sword in a scabbard behind his back. But even on the streets, he was considered somewhat strange. He would sometimes talk crazy, sometimes he insisted he wanted to be left alone, sometimes he became belligerent and was kicked out of bars. After the standoff, he spent a few nights in the mental ward of Harborview Medical Center and from there, he was sent back to Western State. I have no idea where he is now.
You must watch this, it's hilarious.
