Tacoma police fatally shoot man suspected of armed robbery
A Tacoma Police Department officer fatally shot a 31-year-old man suspected of armed robbery Thursday night downtown. Authorities said the man was shot after police had him at gunpoint and he refused to show his hands.
Tacoma police were called about 10:45 p.m. to 1515 Commerce St. for a report of a man with a gun at the Marriott Hotel, according to a news release from the Pierce County Force Investigation Team. PCFIT investigates all police uses of deadly force in the county.
No police officers were injured during the incident, according to the release. The names of the man killed and the officer who shot him have not been released. The officer or officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave while PCFIT investigates, according to the public information officer designated for this incident., Sgt. Darren Moss of Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
At the scene, police spoke with witnesses and the robbery victim to confirm there was probable cause to arrest the man. Moss said officers learned that the man pointed a gun at a valet outside the hotel and tried to rob him.
Officers began to search the area with a police dog based on the last known location of the robber, according to the release. The search led police to the 1100 block of Dock Street near the 11th Street bridge.
At 11:21 p.m., officers radioed that they made contact with the man and had him at gunpoint, but he was refusing to show his hands. One minute later, police shot him.
It’s unclear where the man’s hands were when police made contact with him or what happened in the minute before he was shot. Moss said PCFIT investigators will be reviewing body camera footage of the shooting. A handgun was also recovered from the scene.
Officers administered first aid until Tacoma Fire Department arrived. The man was transported to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 7:32 AM.
