SOUTH HILL, Wash. — A man was killed early Monday during a deputy-involved shooting in the South Hill area, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called to the 156th Street Court East area near 84th Avenue East sometime after 2 a.m. following a report of a suspicious vehicle.
The caller told deputies that someone inside the vehicle had fired a shot outside their home earlier that night.
When deputies arrived, they found a man asleep inside the vehicle.
Authorities say deputies spoke with people who reported the incident and determined there was probable cause for felony harassment.
Deputies then attempted to make contact with the man in the vehicle.
Shortly after those efforts began, deputies reported that gunfire occurred.
Officials later confirmed that three Pierce County deputies were involved in the shooting.
Investigators said deputies attempted life-saving measures until firefighters arrived, but those efforts were not successful.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the investigation, a bullet-damaged SUV was found surrounded by sheriff’s vehicles.
Authorities said the man’s body was located about half a block away from the vehicle at the center of the incident.
A nearby resident, Deborah Jones-Allen, said the incident raised concerns about safety in the neighborhood.
“I am very concerned because I have been aware and I haven’t lived here that long,” Jones-Allen said. “I am concerned about, let’s just say, interesting individuals that walk back and forth down the street. They are clearly let’s just say in need of some treatment.”
No deputies were injured during the incident, officials said.
The Pierce County Force Investigation Team has taken over the case, which is standard procedure for all deputy-involved shootings.
Investigators will work to determine the circumstances that led up to the shooting.