Armed Suspect Fatally Shot By Pierce County Deputy

GRAHAM, WA — A 39-year-old man has died after being shot by a Pierce County Sheriff's Department deputy Sunday evening.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, deputies had been called to the area after several witnesses called 911 after hearing shots fired in the 24900 block of 150th Avenue just outside of Graham. One witness also told dispatchers that the man firing the gun had held a knife to someone's throat.

When deputies arrived, they say they heard several more gunshots but couldn't immediately determine where they were coming from.

The sheriff department's report says that after about an hour and a half of searching, officers heard shots ring out inside a nearby home around 10:30 p.m. Deputies then helped three people escape that home, while the armed suspect stayed inside. After just over an hour of standstill, officers say the suspect eventually charged out of the house and opened fire. One deputy returned fire, hitting and killing the suspect.

The Thurston County Sheriff's Office confirms that they have been called in to investigate the shooting. The move is standard procedure: recent police reform legislation requires that all deadly use of force by law enforcement officers be investigated by a separate agency.