Armed man found dead in Spanaway after shooting at Pierce County deputy
An armed man was found dead inside a van in Spanaway after shooting at a Pierce County sheriff’s deputy Wednesday, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
A deputy went to check on an “unwanted person in a vehicle” at 173rd Street South and A Street South at 4:47 p.m. One minute later, the deputy called out to dispatchers that shots had been fired.
“As the responding deputy arrived and began approaching the vehicle, shots were fired,” investigators said in a news release.
The suspect was inside of a van and shot at the deputy, sheriff’s Sgt. Darren Moss said. The deputy, who was not injured, returned fire. It’s not clear whether it was the deputy’s bullet that killed the man.
A SWAT team was called to the scene and found the suspect dead inside the van, which was stopped outside an apartment complex.
The Pierce County Force Investigation Team, comprised of several local law enforcement agencies, is investigating the police shooting.
This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 6:16 PM.
