Man found dead inside van in Spanaway shot himself, not at a sheriff’s deputy
A man found dead inside a van last week after shooting at a Pierce County sheriff’s deputy in Spanaway killed himself, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.
The 52-year-old died of a rifle wound to the head. The News Tribune generally does not identify victims of suicide.
Deputies were called to the intersection of 173rd Street South and A Street South about 4:45 p.m. May 12 to check on a suspicious person parked in the area.
Within a minute of arriving, the deputy notified dispatchers that shots had been fired.
The man fired a gun as the deputy approached and the deputy returned fire, believing he was being shot at.
A SWAT team responded and found the man dead inside the van, which was parked outside an apartment complex.
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 2:23 PM.
