MOUNT VERNON, WA (KGMI.com) – Biscuits and gravy from a local restaurant helped diffuse a tense situation at the Skagit County Jail.

Dane Mergens, one of the owners of Mr. T’s Family Cafe in Mount Vernon, says he arrived at work to find something unusual at the front of his restaurant.

“We got a note on the door saying to call the police right when we got here.”

He said he thought it was a joke at first, but security camera footage confirmed an officer dropped off the note.

Mergens called the number listed on the note, and learned why police were so eager to get a hold of him.

“They said that [they] needed some biscuits and gravy first thing this morning, as soon as possible … and sure enough, they showed up and picked some up and said it was for a barricade situation this morning that was happening at the jail.”

Skagit County Sheriff’s Office says a 36 year old inmate had barricaded himself in a ceiling area late last night (Wed).

He refused to get out unless negotiators provided him with an order of biscuits and gravy from Mr. T’s Cafe.

An officer stopped by the restaurant later that morning to pick up the order.

The inmate was brought back down at 8:30 this morning (Thur).

Deputies said that the inmate had been in jail since November 7th on several felony charges, with more being added following this incident.