Deputies shoot, kill man who lunged at them with knife, official says

FREDERICKSON, Wash. — Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies fatally shot a man who tried to stab a deputy Saturday morning in Frederickson, according to a department spokesman.

Deputies were dispatched about 6:30 a.m. to the 7400 block of 189th Street Court East, where the man’s sister reported the man had kidnapped his brother-in-law at knifepoint, Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.

Later on Saturday outside of her Frederickson home, Tonya Navarrete sat wiping away tears.

"I just wanted him to leave," she said. "I didn't want this to happen."

Navarrete said she had called 911 because her brother-in-law, Eduardo, was high on meth and was armed with a knife and angry.

The family was hoping police would be able to calm him down, "not for them to kill him," Navarrete said. "That's why we told them we wanted to help him."

Troyer said when the family called for help, they said Eduardo was threatening them and demanding money.

“The family did say that he had gone very heavily into meth recently," Troyer said. "And at 6:30 in the morning, he's up doing robberies.The presumption is -- and backed up by the family -- is he was trying to get more money for more drugs."

When police showed up, Navarrete said Eduardo had left on foot.

"We didn't know where he went," she said. "Like six cops showed up and asked questions, asking us what he was wearing and stuff."

When the officers found him, "he made comments and said, 'Nobody's going to stop me or I'm going to kill them.' And then he came at our deputies and lunged at them with a knife and he was shot," Troyer said.

A neighbor reported hearing shots and police saying, "put your knife down."

Troyer said officers gave Eduardo plenty of warning before they fired; Eduardo died at the scene.

Three agencies are investigating the shooting, including the Pierce County Prosecutor's office.

The three deputies involved in the incident are on paid administration leave, which is standard policy.

Tacoma News Tribune