South Sound News

Spanaway man found dead inside van shot himself, not at deputy

SPANAWAY, Wash. — The Medical Examiner’s Office says a man found dead inside a van last week after a Pierce County sheriff’s deputy fired at him in Spanaway killed himself.

The 52-year-old died of a rifle wound to the head.

Deputies were called to an intersection near an apartment building on May 12 to check on a suspicious person parked in the area.

Within a minute of arriving, the deputy told dispatchers shots had been fired.

The sheriff’s office says the man fired a gun as the deputy approached and the deputy returned fire, believing he was being shot at.

A SWAT team found the man dead.