Walla Walla SWAT team arrests suspect tied to pawn shop gun theft
By Dan Thesman on Thursday, October 1st, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
WALLA WALLA — A 47-year-old local man was arrested without force Wednesday after a SWAT operation linked him to a pawn shop firearm theft earlier this month, authorities said.
Jeremiah Adkins was taken into custody by detectives and the Walla Walla Regional SWAT Team around 12:47 p.m., according to the Walla Walla Police Department.
Police said the investigation began Sept. 19 when officers received a report of a stolen firearm from a pawn shop on the 1500 block of Isaacs Avenue. Investigators used surveillance video to identify Adkins as the suspect.
Specialized response units were deployed to execute search warrants on Adkins and his property due to details surrounding the case, police said. Authorities noted that careful planning and communication were conducted to limit risks to nearby residents and students at nearby Walla Walla High School during the tactical response.
Following the arrest, investigators executed additional search warrants, recovering the stolen weapon alongside several other firearms.
Adkins was booked into the Walla Walla County Jail on charges including theft of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and six counts of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm
Streets around Fern Avenue and Wauna Vista Drive, which had been briefly closed during the operation, have since reopened.
Photo courtesy Walla Walla Police Department
