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Man in SWAT standoff assaulted others before stabbing 18-year-old in neck, documents say

Spokane police, including SWAT officers, stage outside an apartment building on Sixth Avenue and Ash Street on Spokane’s lower South Hill Saturday. After a nearly two-hour standoff, police arrested Michael Sam, 27, for an alleged stabbing that sent a person to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. (Garrett Cabeza / The Spokesman-Review)
By Garrett Cabeza garrettc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5135

A stabbing that led to a SWAT standoff Saturday on the lower South Hill started with a dispute over a blanket, according to court documents.

Michael J. Sam was arrested on suspicion of two counts of assault after he stabbed 18-year-old Joshua Guevara in the neck and cut Guevara’s girlfriend, Nevaeh Martin, on her chest with a knife Saturday morning at an apartment building at 1631 W. Sixth Ave., according to documents.

Sam, the couple and others were staying at the apartment Saturday, Martin told police in documents. The couple was asleep that morning under a blanket in the living room when she was awoken by a drunk Sam screaming at her and Guevara, saying that the blanket was his.

Guevara argued it was his blanket, Martin told police.

Sam then ripped the blanket away and whipped the couple with it. He punched Guevara in the side a couple times, Martin told police.

A verbal argument ensued between Sam and Guevara, with Guevara telling Sam to leave them alone. Sam then shoved Guevara onto Martin, according to Martin.

Two other women at the apartment then started screaming at Sam, one of them telling him to leave, Martin told police. Sam grabbed one of the women, and he and the woman shoved each other. Sam then hit a barking dog and got on top of the woman and punched her, Martin said in documents.

Martin then pulled Sam off the woman, who then jumped on Sam and started punching him, according to Martin.

The apartment occupants and the dog went inside a bedroom as Sam and the woman fought in the living room, Martin told police. The woman fighting Sam then tried to open the bedroom door with Sam behind her.

Sam was able to push himself inside the room. The defendant looked at Martin, pulled his pocket knife out and told her he was going to stab her. Martin replied, “Do it then,” she told police.

Sam tried to stab Martin, but the woman who had just fought Sam deflected Sam’s arm and the knife glanced off Martin’s chest, according to Martin.

Everyone in the room screamed at Sam and tried to push him out of the room. Sam then stabbed Guevara in the neck. Martin called 911, and Sam screamed that he was going to kill everyone, Martin told police.

The two women and the couple eventually left the apartment.

Guevara also told police Sam came into the apartment intoxicated and started assaulting people inside. Guevara said he tried to intervene when Sam stabbed him, according to documents.

Guevara told police outside the apartment that Sam had access to an “AR” weapon that was in the apartment where Sam was barricaded. Guevara was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center where he has since been discharged, according to Allie Hyams, Providence spokeswoman.

Several resources, including a SWAT team, staged outside the apartment. Police told Sam multiple times he was under arrest, but he didn’t come outside. SWAT officers fired a chemical agent into the apartment, causing Sam to come out and be placed under arrest.

Sam was taken to MultiCare Deaconess Hospital and booked into the Spokane County Jail Saturday afternoon.

Police searched the apartment and found a folding knife with dried blood on it, according to documents.

Sam made his first appearance Monday in Spokane County Superior Court, where his bond was set at $250,000. He remained in jail Wednesday night and is scheduled for an arraignment Tuesday.