22-year-old man linked to string of Spokane armed robberies arrested

A 22-year-old man police linked to a string of armed robberies this summer in north Spokane was arrested early Friday morning after a SWAT standoff on the edge of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood, according to a police news release.

Officers arrested Joshua R. Stricker on suspicion of three counts of first-degree armed robbery.

Stricker is accused of robbing a business in the 2200 block of North Monroe Street on July 19 and Wednesday, according to a Spokane Police Department news release. He robbed another business Aug. 13 in the 2500 block of West Boone Avenue, police said.

Multiple specialty units, including SWAT, hostage negotiators, an air support unit and the Explosive Disposal Unit, responded Thursday night to an apartment in the 700 block of West Cora Avenue where Stricker was. Officers surrounded the apartment after learning Stricker was inside, the release said. Police tried to communicate with Stricker for hours without success.

They then deployed chemical agents into the residence and Stricker came out shortly after, according to police.

Stricker was booked into the Spokane County Jail and remained there Friday. He made his first appearance Friday in Spokane County Superior Court and is set for an arraignment Sept. 4.

Police sought the public’s assistance in identifying an alleged armed robber July 23 at the Monroe Street business. Police did not locate the man, who pulled a gun during the robbery, and believed that person was involved in a robbery the week before in the same area. No one has been arrested for those alleged robberies.

The investigation into Stricker is ongoing and additional charges are possible, police said.