Burglary suspect critically injured following eight-hour police standoff in Lakewood
A 30-year-old man who barricaded himself inside a Lakewood business for eight hours during a police standoff Wednesday was shot and is in critical condition.
Officers were dispatched to a reported burglary at about 9:07 a.m. at a used auto-parts store in the 2000 block of 112th Street South. The owner reported the suspected burglar was still in the area, according to a Pierce County Force Investigation Team news release.
The Pierce County Force Investigation Team is made up of regional law enforcement tasked with investigating situations involving where officers use deadly force.
Officers tried to contact the man after they found him in the 10800 block of 25th Avenue South. Shots were fired at about 9:21 a.m. and the man ran off into a nearby business, the release said. He allegedly assaulted an employee. The employee was seriously injured but escaped. The employee reported to police the man had a firearm.
The alleged shooter barricaded himself inside the business for about eight hours while negotiators tried to de-escalate the situation, the release said. The area was closed off during negotiations.
After eight hours, the man tried to escape from the building and shots were fired at about 6:30 p.m. It is currently not being confirmed who fired shots for the integrity of the investigation, according to a PCFIT spokesperson. Investigators will be reviewing body camera footage and other materials before more information can be publicly made available.
He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital. PCFIT is investigating the incident.
This story was originally published January 23, 2025 at 12:12 PM.
