22-year-old man arrested in connection with a series of armed robberies in Spokane

A 22-year-old man linked to a series of armed robberies this summer in north Spokane was arrested early Friday morning after a standoff with a SWAT team on the outskirts of the Emerson-Garfield neighborhood, a police news release said.

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

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

Several special forces units, including SWAT, hostage negotiators, an air support unit and the bomb disposal unit, responded to an apartment in the 700 block of West Cora Avenue where Stricker was staying Thursday evening. Officers surrounded the apartment after learning Stricker was inside, the news release said. Police tried to contact Stricker for hours without success.

They then used chemical weapons in the apartment and Stricker came out again a short time later, according to the police.

Stricker was booked into the Spokane County Jail and remained there Friday. He made his initial appearance in Spokane County Superior Court Friday and is scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 4.

Police asked the public for help in identifying a suspected armed robber who robbed the Monroe Street store on July 23. Police were unable to locate the man who pulled out a gun during the robbery and believed the person was involved in a robbery in the same area the week before. No one was arrested for those suspected robberies.

The investigation against Stricker is ongoing and further charges are possible, police said.