Man wanders through Purdy area, shooting gun and muttering incoherently, sheriff says

A man wandered around the Purdy area early Thursday morning, muttering incoherently while firing a pistol into the air at random, Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said.

Deputies were dispatched about 3:45 a.m. to the 15800 block of 67th Avenue Northwest because neighbors had called 911 to report the man’s erratic behavior, Pastor said in a post on Facebook.

Two Pierce County deputies and multiple Gig Harbor police officers responded to the area, found the man and confronted him with their guns drawn.

The 46-year-old man went to his driveway, then into his house but continued to shoot, Pastor said. The SWAT team was dispatched to the home, and negotiators were able to coax the man outside without the gun.

The man was booked into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of 15 counts of reckless endangerment and 15 counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm.

A detective got a search warrant and retrieved the handgun and other firearms in the home, he said.

“Our people routinely put themselves at extra risk to end these difficult, dangerous situations without resorting to lethal force,” Pastor said. “This is well worth comment and praise in my book.”

This story was originally published July 12, 2018 at 5:10 PM.