Pierce County Council candidate says he shot suspected car thief ‘in self defense’
Josh Harris, the Pierce County Council candidate who shot a suspected car thief driving toward him, said Thursday he did so in self-defense.
“He drove head on at me and with no place to run I drew my fire arm and shot him in self defense,” Harris said in a statement texted to The News Tribune about 6:42 a.m.
The incident will not affect his candidacy, he said later Thursday morning in a phone interview with The News Tribune.
The shooting occurred Monday near a homeless encampment in the vicinity of Cheney Stadium in Tacoma. Police are investigating what happened. Harris has not been arrested or charged.
After not responding to reporters’ queries since Tuesday, Harris, 47, provided the statement and interview.
Shooting near encampment
Harris said he had been in the encampment last week to help a woman who was living there. He has a long history of helping people in need, he said.
While there he saw what he believed were stolen tools, a truck canopy and other items. He took photos of them and posted them on social media. He also notified Tacoma police, he said.
The owner of the truck canopy contacted him, and they agreed to meet at the encampment on Monday to retrieve the items.
“A person I am helping to get back on her feet informed us that the car thief had told her he knew where I lived and was going to kill me and board my doors and windows and burn my family to death,” Harris said.
He left the immediate area and notified police dispatchers of what he believed to be stolen vehicles, he said. He did not see the suspected thief.
Tacoma police officers arrived sometime later, both Harris and police spokesperson Wendy Haddow said. Harris and the other man waited at the edge of of a nearby parking lot where concrete blocks meant to restrict vehicle access had been pushed aside, he said.
Sometime after officers walked down the path he heard a bang and yelling. Then, a car quickly approached and drove toward Harris, he said.
“I was standing there on the edge ... by the eco block and he came barreling around the corner boring right down on me and I took a few steps back,” Harris said. “So I stood my ground and fired at him before he could run me over.”
Carrying a pistol
Harris said he fired at least four rounds at the driver from a 9 mm handgun. He has a concealed weapon permit, he said.
Harris said he took aim at the driver only “to protect my life.”
He did not go looking for trouble on Monday, he said, but carries a gun as a matter of course for the last seven months due to increased criminal activity.
“The amount of crime we’ve had on job sites — we’ve had people with mental illness walking into the homes at some of our job sites,” Harris said. “The break-ins we’ve had, the random shootings we’ve had. I don’t want my employees carrying, but I carry for my safety and the safety of others on our job sites.”
He doesn’t regularly visit homeless encampments, he said. He finds the people he helps through word of mouth, he said.
Suspected car thief
The man taken into custody on Tuesday was known to Harris, he said, but they had never directly interacted until then.
Harris cited numerous crimes the man has allegedly committed at other locations in the area, including theft and shooting a gun at people and animals. The News Tribune could not confirm that information.
As of Thursday morning, the man had not been released from a local hospital where he’s being treated for wounds. When released, he will be arrested for possession of stolen vehicles and assault, according to Tacoma Police spokesperson Wendy Haddow.
Harris has his own criminal record, which includes theft and insurance fraud.
In May, Harris filed as a Republican to run for the Pierce County Council District 7 seat to represent Gig Harbor and Key Peninsulas, Fox Island and parts of north and west Tacoma. He is one of five candidates — one Democrat and three other Republicans — who filed to replace incumbent Derek Young, who has served the maximum number of terms allowed by law.
He previously told The News Tribune that public safety would be his No. 1 priority if elected.
“Our jail is understaffed, our judges lack accountability, and policy have handcuffed our officers from being able to protect the public and themselves,” Harris wrote in the statement he sent The News Tribune on Thursday.
Ties to Tacoma police
Harris has a brother who is a Tacoma police chaplain. Harris is well known locally for bailing out the Tacoma police officers charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of Manuel Ellis. Ellis died in police custody in March 2020 after being restrained and placed in a spit mask. Medical examiners said oxygen deprivation contributed to his death and ruled his death a homicide. The officers have pleaded not guilty.
Harris said he’s receiving no special treatment from Tacoma police.
“They’re investigating it just like anything else,” he said. “Every citizen has the right to defend themselves, not just myself.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 8:13 AM.
