Pierce County deputy shoots, kills suspect

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A man was shot and killed by a Pierce County deputy near the border of Tacoma and Spanaway Thursday night.

At 5:47 p.m., deputies were called to a report of a suspicious man in a vehicle parked at O’Reilly’s Auto Parts in the 14900 block of Pacific Avenue South. Deputies arrived, contacted the man, and radioed that shots were fired at 5:56 p.m., according to a news release from the Pierce County Force Investigation Team.

A Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson confirmed a deputy shot the man.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

Investigators have not said who the man is or why the deputy fired their weapon.

The shooting has local business owners guessing their next move.

Matthew Tatham and Jesse Ruano own Comiks The Gathering, which is located directly across the parking lot from the shooting.

“We got a Lego pit in there, we got cartoons playing at all times. We want it to be inviting but it’s kind of hard in this area when things like this are happening,” says Ruano.

Both store owners say they heard the gunshots and within minutes, officers swarmed the parking lot outside their business.

Crime scene tape blocked off the area for hours while investigators worked to put a timeline of events together.

Tatham and Ruano said they aren’t too surprised something like this went down. They say crime is too common in this part of Pierce County.

Now after this latest shooting, they’re trying to decide if they should pack up their store and find a new place to do business.

“You go in our store, it’s an oasis. You step out and it’s kind of like Mad Max sometimes,” says Tatham.

The investigation is ongoing.

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