A man was fatally shot by Pierce County deputies during a domestic violence call in Buckley, as confirmed by the authorities. The incident occurred late Wednesday night when deputies were dispatched to a residence on the 7500 block of 242nd Avenue Court East after receiving reports of a domestic violence situation involving a firearm.
Upon their arrival shortly after 11:30 p.m., the deputies made contact with the female caller, who exited the house, KOMO News reported. Within minutes, the authorities observed the man "racked his rifle," indicating a readiness to use the firearm.
The situation escalated quickly as deputies, now positioned outside the home, communicated the need for SWAT and negotiators. According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, they had probable cause to arrest the individual for first-degree assault and were preparing for a tactical response.
At 11:51 p.m., the incident reached a fatal conclusion when the suspect, appearing on the porch with a firearm, was met by law enforcement, and "immediately said 'shots fired,'" as stated in a post by the sheriff's department. Moments later, the man was pronounced dead at the scene, while all deputies remained unharmed, The News Tribune reported. The immediate sequence of events leading to the shooting has not yet been clarified in released statements.
Following the shooting, the Pierce County Force Investigation Team took over the investigation, a standard procedure in officer-involved shootings. Support at the scene also included personnel from Bonney Lake police, as indicated by video footage shared by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, noted FOX 13 Seattle. The identity of the deceased has not been released, and further details are pending as the investigation continues.
