Report: Several Pierce County deputies shot an armed man following short pursuit
A short police pursuit ended when several deputies fatally shot an armed man in Puyallup on Tuesday, a Pierce County Force Investigation Team news release said.
Pierce County Sheriff’s Department deputies spotted a suspect they had been trying to locate just before 3 p.m. They found the man in the area of a park-and-ride off 9th Street Southwest and 31st Avenue Southwest. The man was wanted for several violent felony crimes, the release said.
The deputies tried to stop the Chevrolet Tahoe that the suspect was driving in east on 31st Avenue Southwest. A short pursuit began and spike strips were deployed, making contact with the suspect’s tires. Soon after, the car stopped in the roadway east of state Route 512, the release said.
Witnesses said they watched the suspect exit the car while holding a firearm. Several deputies fired their weapons and struck the suspect. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the release said.
It is unclear if the man fired his gun. Multiple civilian vehicles were hit by bullets. A nearby building was also struck, according to a previous News Tribune report.
No witnesses or deputies were injured. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office has not publicly confirmed the man’s identity.
This is the second time in the past two weeks that a wanted fugitive in Pierce County was fatally shot. On Nov. 17, Shaun Luzama, who was wanted for second-degree murder, was killed in a standoff. Luzama fired shots at law enforcement throughout the morning.
Ed Troyer, the Pierce County sheriff, said in a Facebook post that on two separate occasions “really bad people” fired shots at his deputies.
“Damage to our vehicles and trauma to everyone involved, but our deputies are physically ok. These incidents take a toll on our people and the law enforcement community. The Suspects were wanted for a Murder 1 and Rape 1. Both suspects are deceased,” he wrote in the post.
