A bright, blue-sky day turned deadly when a marksman from the King County Sheriff’s department shot Darrell Bass in Covington Saturday.

The normally quiet neighborhood in the 26300 block of S.E. 166 Place was shattered by a four-hour standoff with Covington police officers, King County SWAT (special weapons and tactics) team members, the bomb squad and support officers.

The 53-year-old Bass told a Covington police officer at about 10:30 a.m. he had a bomb device and weapons in the house including a .50 caliber rifle, according to police officials.

Sheriff’s department spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart said the man told officers he had a 250 pound fertilizer bomb, large enough to level the house and do serious damage to the surrounding neighborhood.

At 2:20 p.m. Bass walked out onto his deck and pointed a .30-.30 caliber lever-action rifle equipped with a scope at Guardian One, the sheriff’s department helicopter. At that moment a sheriff’s department marksman located on the ground pulled the trigger, shooting Bass in the chest. The chief said Bass immediately dropped when shot.

Klason said the SWAT team members rigorously train to be able to make life and death decision under pressure when there is a threat.

The chief spent 10 years on the SWAT team and said, “I know their training. These guys are very good. It is not at all robotic. I know, I’ve been at the brink a number of times.”

The events of the day began unfolding around 10 a.m.

About 50 officers responded to the emergency call according to Klason.

The most recent information on the case is the man’s former wife had called for a “civil standby” according to Klason.

Police officials believe the couple had been divorced or separated for about two years. The couple have a 9-year-old son.

The man had to move from the house in three days, but officials have not determined the details concerning the move.

Klason said it is believed the wife and man were getting along well prior to Saturday.

The wife had come to the house at 10 a.m. Saturday and Bass’ attitude was reported to have changed.

Klason said the wife called police. When the officer arrived, Bass would not answer the door.

“The officer was about to leave when he (Bass) came to the door and called for the officer,” Klason said. “That’s when he made a comment about the device (bomb).”

The chief said the officer was able to talk to the man by phone while the sheriff’s department negotiators came to the scene.

“When the negotiator’s arrived, they tried to resolve it without anyone getting hurt,” Klason said.

While negotiators worked with the man, a complex series of operations began with officers evacuating the neighborhood and SWAT team members getting into position.

The police closed 164th Avenue S.E. from the Foss Grocery to 267th Street S.E. Klason said public works employees came to the scene to help close roads.

A command post was set up in a vacant lot near the grocery and a second SWAT command post was located closer to the scene.

“The first (SWAT team members) to arrive did a recon and tried to get the scene as secure as possible,” Klason said.

The SWAT team set up an “outer perimeter and inner perimeter,” Klason said.

The chief said often these incident ends in the person giving up, sometime suicide, but seldom in a police shooting.

The chief said this is the first incident of this type in Covington, and it has been nearly five years since there was a homicide case in the city.

Once the man was down, the sheriff’s department’s bomb robot was used to get into the house. The robot is equipped with a video camera, a gripping arm and a shotgun to breech doors.

Klason said the robot was able to get the door open and enter the house, but the home was full of boxes because Bass was moving.

“We had to send in a bomb technician,” Klason said.

The chief said a couple of bags of rose fertilizer were found, but “no actual device.” The .50 caliber rifle the man claimed he had was not found.

Bass was declared dead at 5:20 p.m.

Jo Ann Cooper, the publisher of the The Nashville Graphic in Nashville N.C., reported Bass was raised in Nashville and family members are still living in the area.

Klason said the case is still being investigated by sheriff’s department detectives. The chief said the incident will go through a department review and an inquest.

The marksman will also be placed on administrative leave for the officer’s protection pending the reviews. The officer and his family will be offered support and help from the department.

“This person made the ultimate decision and it can be hard on them,” Klason said.

The city of Covington contracts for police services with the King County Sheriff’s office, and Klason said this incident shows the advantage of the arrangement.

“Because of the city’s contract with the sheriff’s office, we had all the facilities of the office available,” Klason said. “This was a very big incident.”