Over 20 minutes of body-worm camera video has been released. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. — A man is dead after shots rang out in an Olympia backyard last Tuesday.
According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy tried to stop a vehicle for going 90 mph in a 35 mph zone on Yelm Highway SE around 2:37 p.m. A pursuit ensued before the suspect crashed near Morse Merryman Road SE.
The suspect ran off after the crash, and deputies heard shots being fired in a nearby backyard.
“This is completely unbelievable that it happened in this neighborhood,” Vic Lillow, who lives nearby, said. “This is such a beautiful, quiet neighborhood.”
“All deputies are okay, all uninvolved community members are okay, so that’s kind of what we are working with right now,” Sheriff Derek Sanders of Thurston County said.
“The suspect fled into a backyard and shots were fired,” he said.
Sanders said it is not yet clear who fired the first shots. Deputies reportedly ran after the suspect after hearing gunfire and opened fire.
You can watch the body cam video here.
It should be noted that the footage may be considered graphic for some viewers.
Sanders said the deputies performed first aid on the suspect, but he died.
A passenger also got out of the crashed car and ran but was caught with the help of dogs, according to Sanders.
The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations is now looking into the shooting.
“OII is going to be the one that ultimately determines what shots were fired, how many shots were fired and who fired them,” Sanders said.
Neighbors told KIRO 7 they were rattled, but glad the ordeal is over.
“I don’t ever like to see somebody die,” Lillow said. “But really, when they are that irresponsible, they are endangering people.”
The deputies involved in the shooting are now on leave.
The passenger who ran reportedly had an active warrant. There is no word yet on why.