Drug deal gone bad leads to shootout in Spanaway parking lot

A drug deal went awry and erupted into a shootout outside a Spanaway strip mall Sunday night, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

Two brothers from Walla Walla were booked into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

Deputies are searching for three other suspects.

One of the brothers told deputies he owns a marijuana collective and agreed to meet a new customer at the strip mall in the 20400 block of state Route 7 with about three pounds of pot.

He brought along his brother for security.

At some point during the deal, an argument ensued, and two or three of the suspects began firing at the brothers, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.

Surveillance footage showed both brothers returning fire at the suspects, who ran off after crashing their Saturn.

Deputies found the Saturn on the curb across from the strip mall with several bullet holes in the windshield. The brothers’ van had multiple bullet holes in the passenger door and hood. Another vehicle was also hit.

No one was injured.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 6:37 AM with the headline "Drug deal gone bad leads to shootout in Spanaway parking lot."