A situation on south Vashon Island shut down state-ferry traffic on that end of the island for hours, leading to heavier traffic on the north end, which handles ferries from Fauntleroy and Southworth. The King County Sheriff’s Office says this is what happened:

At about 11:15 A.M. today, the words of a suspected mentally ill man halted ferry traffic between Point Defiance and the Tahlequah ferry terminal on Vashon Island. A witness overheard a 48 year old Vashon Island man rambling about having explosives and wanting to detonate the explosive after a particular car disembarked the boat.

The King County Sheriff’s Office began receiving calls about a man at the Tahlequah Ferry Terminal (the Vashon Island side of the Point Defiance to Vashon route) carrying a broom around and talking about killing all of the rats. Multiple callers reported various suspicious and disturbing behaviors from the Vashon man.

The terminals and ferry were inspected and deemed safe. Ferry traffic is back on schedule. The Vashon Island man was booked into the King County Jail. King County Sheriff’s detectives will review the case and recommend any additional charges to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The KCPAO will, ultimately, decide what charges the man will face.