SEATTLE — Family members and close friends of 33-year-old Jonathan Whitehead shed little light on the person behind the bizarre behavior which led to a deadly confrontation with state troopers on Interstate 5 Monday night.
One family member, who did not want to be identified, said they are grieving and shocked, but told KIRO 7 there were no clear answers to explain any of it.
According to his Marysville neighbors, Whitehead lived with his brother, who they say is a highly decorated and respected police officer. KIRO 7 reached out to the agency where the officer was said to be employed, but a spokesperson was not immediately able to confirm the family connection.
Troopers say Whitehead swerved and weaved his pickup truck through traffic on the bridge before he stopped, set the truck on fire and spray-painted a large green circle over two lanes of I-5. Callers to 9-1-1 told dispatchers Whitehead appeared to be insane as he waved a book in the air and confronted troopers with a knife.
A State Patrol detective told KIRO 7 Whitehead threatened two troopers with the knife. Both opened fire, hitting Whitehead multiple times. He died hours later at Harborview Medical Center.
Whitehead’s Facebook page indicates he was a union carpenter. He expressed frustration about government and politics, but nothing suggested the erratic behavior witnessed by dozens of drivers who saw the confrontation with troopers.
Whitehead had no criminal history in Washington State. He had several traffic infractions in 2012, all in Snohomish County.