A late-morning encounter on Highway 508 east of Onalaska turned deadly Monday when Lewis County sheriff's deputies shot a man they say was armed and in distress near Cinebar. Deputies say the man got out of a vehicle with a firearm and that their attempts to de-escalate the situation did not work. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he later died.
According to The Seattle Times, deputies first found the man in distress and tried to talk with him before the encounter escalated. The paper reports that officers initially used less-lethal "bean bag" rounds, and that two deputies later fired their patrol rifles. The man was flown to a trauma center and was pronounced dead there, and he had not been publicly identified as of Monday night, the outlet reported.
State investigators to review the shooting
Per Washington State Office of Independent Investigations, the agency that handles officer-involved deaths in the region was notified and will conduct an independent probe. OII's public materials explain that it conducts criminal investigations of deadly force incidents and then provides its investigative file and final case report to local prosecutors for charging decisions.
How deputies described the encounter
Per The Seattle Times, deputies said they tried to talk the man down and used less-lethal rounds before two deputies ultimately fired their patrol rifles. OII spokesperson Hector Castro told the paper that no deputies were injured in the incident.
What comes next
OII investigations typically collect evidence, review body-worn and in-car video, and interview witnesses before issuing a final case report. The agency is guided by a 120-day statutory timeline for many cases, though investigations can take longer. After OII completes its work, the investigative file and any final report are provided to the local prosecuting authority, which determines whether charges will be filed.
