Officials identify man killed in gun battle who crashed into semi truck in Tacoma
A Tacoma man fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire who then crashed into a parked truck fleeing the scene has been identified.
Jermaine Campbell, 36, died of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
His death early Thursday was the third homicide in the city this week.
Detectives are still working to figure out what happened, and have not arrested a suspect.
Campbell’s body was found about 3 a.m. in the driver’s seat of a Ford Explorer that had slammed into the back of a parked semi truck in the 3600 block of South Lawrence Street.
Police believe he was involved in a shootout between two vehicles that was reported about 1:30 a.m. that morning, just two blocks away in the 3800 block of South Lawrence Street.
Several people called 911 to report hearing gunshots in the area, but officers responded and found no victims.
They did, however, find glass and shell casings in the street.
Forensic specialists came out to the scene to collect evidence.
Detectives checked local hospitals for any gunshot victims but found none.
Then a passerby spotted the collision and Campbell’s body.
Witnesses reported seeing a sedan and SUV speed southbound away from the scene after shooting at each other.
Police believe Campbell was one of the vehicles involved in the shooting and lost control of his Ford Explorer due to the gunshot wound.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 6:24 AM.
