THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — A deputy shot an armed suspect while assisting firefighters responding to a vehicle fire, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
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The incident occurred on June 4 when deputies were dispatched to assist firefighters at a property flagged for prior violent criminal activity. Because of the property’s history, firefighters were not permitted to respond without law enforcement assistance.
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Video shows an officer arriving at the scene and ordering a man he called “John” to back away from a vehicle fire. The man refused and appeared to spray a liquid at the fire.
The officer tried to coax the man away from the fire so that firefighters could respond. The man was combative and ran at the deputy before backing away. The man yelled that code enforcement was “going to kill him.”
After further discussion with the deputy, the man started to move toward him. He told the deputy to “go to hell” before pulling a gun from his waistband and running at the deputy.
The deputy fired multiple shots, striking the suspect.
“Why the f*** would you do that, John?” the deputy said as he radioed for backup and instructed dispatchers to hold firefighters back.
The suspect was cooperative after being wounded and told deputies where his weapons were, though he continued to assert that he would be killed by code enforcement.
Additional deputies and police officers arrived shortly afterward, took the suspect into custody, recovered a second firearm and provided medical aid.
The suspect was transported to a hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to authorities.
No first responders or bystanders were injured during the incident. The deputy involved has been placed on administrative leave.
The Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team will conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
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