SPANAWAY, Wash. — "The deputies knew that the passenger in the vehicle had a felony warrant that had just been issued on some drug charges as well as identity theft," said Detective Sgt. Jerry Bates, with the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.
"The suspect then used a can of pepper spray to attempt to disable both of our deputies. One of our deputies was able to draw his weapon and stop that threat. Unfortunately the guy died," Bates said.
Boiel said that as deputies tried to arrest his friend, "He started to put his hands up. All you see was the officer punch him in the side, and they started fighting and wrestling after that. It went around and around, and then Michael reached in his back pocket and maced them," Boiel said.
While he and the girlfriend remained inside the truck, he said one deputy fired three times, paused, then fired a fourth time.
“Michael was laying flat right here, dead as you could be,” Boiel said.
Boiel, who has a bruise on his face, said he was then handcuffed himself. He said the deputies threw him to the ground and punched him.
KIRO
