Puyallup police identify officer who shot suspected armed robber in head
Puyallup police on Friday identified the officer who shot a suspected armed robber in the head after a high-speed pursuit earlier this week.
Officer Zach Kenyon has been in law enforcement nearly 15 years and came to work in Puyallup five weeks ago.
After Wednesday’s shooting, he was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure.
The 37-year-old suspected robber, who has not been identified, remains in serious condition.
The man accused of being his getaway driver, Steven Sommer, 39, is being held in jail while Pierce County prosecutors review charges. He has declined to speak to detectives, Capt. Scott Engle said.
Pierce County Court Commissioner Meagan Foley set Sommer’s arraignment for Monday.
Sommer was behind the wheel of a pickup waiting outside a restaurant in the 600 block of South Hill Park Drive during an armed robbery about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, police said.
Witnesses called 911 to report a man with a gun threatening employees and customers and demanding money.
Officers arrived as the truck was speeding out of the parking lot and chased it onto eastbound state Route 512 after the driver refused to stop.
The truck exited the freeway at South Meridian Street and tried to head north, but the driver lost control and crashed the truck head-on into a concrete overpass support pillar, police said.
As officers approached the truck, the alleged robber in the passenger seat pointed a shotgun at the driver for unknown reasons.
Kenyon shot the suspected robber in the head.
Police said the suspect in Wednesday’s restaurant holdup is believed responsible for 10 armed robberies in Pierce County, including three in Puyallup and two in Gig Harbor.
Officers booked Sommer into jail Wednesday for investigation of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and attempting to elude police.
This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Puyallup police identify officer who shot suspected armed robber in head."