Man on bizarre rant killed in confrontation with deputy

FALL CITY, Wash. — A man yelling that the end of the world is near was fatally shot by a King County sheriff's deputy in a confrontation at a Fall City mobile home park Monday morning, the sheriff's office said.

Neighbors called 911 after seeing the man rolling on the ground at a trailer park in the 4300 block of Preston City Road Southeast. The man said the world was going to end, one neighbor said.

Callers reported the man was in a park, yelling that he was going to "blow something up and burn down houses," the sheriff's office said in a news release.

The deputy told the man to stay on the ground, but he got up and approached the deputy, the sheriff's office said.

"The deputy continued to give him commands to get down on the ground," said Cindi West of the sheriff's office.

The deputy then tried to subdue the man with a taser, the sheriff's office said. Somehow the man got ahold of the taser and charged the deputy as the deputy tried to retreat.

The deputy fired at least one shot, striking the man.  He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness reporter Jeff Dubois (@JeffDubois), at the scene, said witnesses told him the man is known to be homeless and have mental health problems.  A neighbor said he is normally calm.

"He never hurts (anybody)," said Cheryl Hagen, a neighbor.  "I don't know what set him off."

"He was not backing down from the police officer no matter what," she told reporters. "He was like, 'Do it. Do it.' It's like he wanted it to end."

The deputy involved is a 20-year veteran who will be placed on administrative leave during the investigation, routine in officer-involved shootings.

Dubois said five or six deputies and a State Patrol trooper responded to the scene.  Sheriff John Urquhart is there as well.

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KIRO