Washougal man arrested after allegedly holding wife hostage

A man was arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly holding his wife hostage at their home in Washougal that morning, officials said.

At 9:17 a.m., a business called 911, reporting that one of their employees had called in to say she wasn’t coming to work, but something didn’t seem right. They thought she might be in some kind of danger.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office contacted her and she discreetly said she was being held against her will at her home at 2111 N.E. 359th Ave., said Sgt. Fred Neiman with the sheriff’s office.

The woman managed to escape and met up with patrol deputies away from the house. She told them she had been threatened by her husband with a weapon.

Around 12:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office asked for on-duty SWAT assistance, as a precaution to ensure deputy safety, Neiman said. They contacted the suspect, Scott Conley, 48, who calmly came out of his home and surrendered. He was taken into custody around 2:15 p.m. and booked into the Clark County Jail. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault.

“Anytime we can get people into custody and no one get’s hurt … it’s good. It’s worth the extra wait and the patience,” Neiman said.

Clark County Property Records indicate the home is owned by Scott Conley and Susan Conley.