Police searching for suspect after man found dead in Puyallup parking lot

PUYALLUP, Wash. — Pierce County deputies are searching for a suspect after a man was found dead in a Kohl’s parking lot.

Deputies were called to a report of a shooting in the 16900 block of Meridian Avenue East in Puyallup at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday.

A man was found down in the parking lot and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A K-9 unit came to the scene, but no track for the suspect was done because of new police accountability laws that went into effect in Washington this week.

“We did have a K-9 officer respond within a couple minutes, but unfortunately, because no probable cause was developed here for an individual, they decided not to track with a K-9, just in case if they did use force, it wouldn’t be outside of the policy, the new laws,” Sgt. Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said.

Authorities said they spoke to witnesses who only described the suspect as a man in dark clothing.

“We have a couple witnesses that heard the gunshots and saw the two individuals over here, but we don’t know what took place prior to (the shooting), if there was an argument, or if they walked up, or if either of them showed up in a vehicle or anything like that,” Moss said.

The county medical examiner will identify the victim and determine his cause of death.

Detectives are working to find surveillance footage that could lead them to the suspect.

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