Man hits deputy with Molotov cocktail, apparently dies in burning shed, officials say

A man who threw a Molotov cocktail at a King County sheriff’s deputy near Auburn on Tuesday night was later found dead in a burned-out shed on the property, deputies believe.

Deputies were called to the home in the 33100 block of East Lake Holm Drive SE about 1 p.m. after reports that a man in his early 40s was throwing rocks at neighbors’ homes and smashed out a vehicle’s windshield, sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindi West said.

“It sounds like we had some prior history with this individual, some mental health history,” West said.

Because of that, deputies didn’t respond until about 3:45 p.m., with two responding with “less-lethal weapons,” she said.

They arrived to find him on his home’s balcony and told him he was under arrest, West said.

The man lit what deputies thought was a cigarette, but it turned out to be a Molotov cocktail.

He threw it and hit a deputy in the face, burning his hair and eyebrows off and injuring his face, West said.

The man then ran into a large shed, where deputies lost sight of him.

A fire started in the shed, West said, which one of the deputies attempted to put out with a garden hose until fire crews could arrive. Nobody knew whether the man was in the shed or not.

After searching for hours, deputies found a body in the shed that they believe is that of the man, West said.

“This did end tragically, but our deputies used an incredible amount of restraint when he threw the Molotov cocktail,” West said. “We wish it was a different ending, but he for whatever reason just picked today to go on a rampage.”

This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Man hits deputy with Molotov cocktail, apparently dies in burning shed, officials say."