Deputy fatally shot man armed with knife after he climbed inside patrol car

A man armed with a knife and having a mental breakdown was fatally shot by a deputy late Friday after ignoring commands and getting inside a patrol car, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

The 28-year-old Spanaway man has not been identified.

Authorities have blocked off the area near 252nd Street East and Mountain Highway East in the Elk Plain area for the investigation.

The incident started about 9:30 p.m. when a woman called 911 to report that her friend was having a mental breakdown in the middle of the road.

Dispatchers heard screams and the woman yelling “Stop it!” and “Let go of me now!,” sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.

The woman returned to her phone and told dispatchers her friend had a knife and was heading east on 252nd Street East.

As deputies were responding to the scene, another person called 911 to report that a man had tried to get into his vehicle.

The disturbed man tried to get into at least two cars before deputies arrived, Troyer said.

Moments later, the deputy reported that shots had been fired.

“The suspect had reportedly refused multiple commands from the deputy at gunpoint, then entered the deputy’s patrol vehicle, at which point the deputy fired at the suspect,” Troyer said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The deputy was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a police shooting.

This story was originally published March 17, 2018 at 1:08 AM with the headline "Deputy fatally shot man armed with knife after he climbed inside patrol car."