11 officers who fired at University Place homicide suspect identified

Eleven law enforcement officers returned fire last week on a man who killed his estranged girlfriend in University Place and then initiated a high-speed chase that ended near Tillicum.

On Thursday, Lakewood police identified the officers who were placed on paid administrative leave after the fatal shooting of Marcos Perea, which is standard procedure. The case will be turned over to prosecutors after all involved officers and deputies give their statements.

Those who fired their on-duty weapons Feb. 20 were:

Lakewood Police Department:

▪ Sergeant Andy Estes , 51, who has been in law enforcement for 27 years.

▪ Sergeant Jeff Paynter , 47, who has been in law enforcement for 22 years.

▪ Officer Darrin Latimer, 47, who has been in law enforcement for 20 years.

▪ Officer Ryan Moody, 38, who has been in law enforcement for 9 1/2 years.

▪ Officer Jon Anderson, 36, who has been in law enforcement for 8 1/2 years.

▪ Officer Max Criss, 28, who has been in law enforcement for 8 1/2 years.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department:

▪ Deputy Michael McGinnis, 52, who has been in law enforcement since 1994.

▪ Deputy James Oetting, 48, who has been in law enforcement since 1999.

▪ Deputy Matthew Smith, 32, who has been in law enforcement since 2007.

▪ Deputy Casey McEathron, 36, who has been in law enforcement since 2011.

Steilacoom Department of Public Safety:

▪ Officer Gregory Feleppa, 42, who has been in law enforcement for 5 years.

Investigators initially said five deputies fired their guns at Perea but only four did.

Perea, 41, went to the University Place Care Center where Jessica Ortega, 27, worked about 6:15 a.m. and killed her.

No one else was present at the time.

Lakewood police spotted Perea’s Honda on Interstate 5 shortly after the shooting and gave chase.

Perea allegedly opened fire on officers but didn’t strike any patrol cars. He exited the freeway in Lacey and headed north on I-5.

Pierce County sheriff’s deputies, a Steilacoom officer and a Washington State Patrol trooper joined the pursuit.

After an officer maneuvered his vehicle to make Perea spin out near the Thorne Lane exit, Perea allegedly got out of his car and began shooting at police.

Eleven officers returned fire.

The investigation closed I-5 for most of the day and resulted in a 10-mile backup.

It’s unclear whether Perea was served the protection order before he killed Ortega.

She claimed he held a gun to her head “telling me it was my time to die,” Ortega wrote in a request for the protection order.

She left behind two children.

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 8:59 AM with the headline "11 officers who fired at University Place homicide suspect identified."