A 29-year-old man died in police custody overnight Tuesday after an electronic stun gun was used to subdue him.
A 911 call reporting domestic violence was made around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday in the Echo Lake neighborhood. Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies were sent to the home in the 12000 block of 221st St. SE.
Minutes after they arrived, two deputies requested backup. They were trying to arrest the man.
Officers from more than 13 law enforcement agencies went to the scene, according to Edmonds police Sgt. Josh McClure, a spokesman for the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team, a group of detectives from around Snohomish County who investigate when police use fatal force.
A physical altercation between the man and deputies took place as they attempted to get him into custody, McClure said. A stun gun was used.
About 12 minutes after the deputies called for backup, the man was in custody but became unresponsive.
Aid units were requested while police began CPR. Efforts were made to resuscitate the man for almost an hour.
“Detectives worked through the night and into the morning processing the scene, collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses,” McClure said.
Those witnesses included the woman who called 911, he said.
Cause and manner of death, as well as the identity of the suspect, will be determined by the Snohomish County medical examiner. His name was not made public Wednesday.
Six law enforcement officers were involved in the incident. As is standard practice, all were placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation unfolds.
The group includes three sheriff’s deputies, a sheriff’s sergeant and two officers from Monroe, McClure said.
The deputies ranged in age from 29 to 46 and experience from 1½ years to 15 years. The Monroe police officers were 26 and 45; the younger has four years of service and the older officer three years.
It has been a busy stretch for SMART.
The Arlington investigation involving the injury of a 17-year-old girl last month was the fourth case in the county since December. Investigations also are ongoing into a death on Highway 99 in Lynnwood on Jan. 30 and another in Everett on Dec. 17. Both those shootings involved Lynnwood officers.
On Feb. 9, a man was fatally shot by a Lake Stevens officer.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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