Former Arlington man with 5 felonies shot dead in Tennessee

Published 1:30 am Thursday, November 9, 2017

ARLINGTON — A former Snohomish County man was killed by sheriff’s deputies in Tennessee late last month.

Officials recently identified him as Paul Landis Gorden, 39, of Arlington.

On Oct. 31, Gorden was shot by deputies from the Overton County Sheriff’s Department.

Someone had called police earlier that day after finding a vehicle with bullet holes on his property, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. When two deputies arrived, Gorden emerged from nearby trees and approached them. He reportedly produced a handgun and police fired their weapons.

He was shot and died at the scene.

Gorden, who had previously lived in Marysville and Arlington, was known to Washington law enforcement. He had five felony convictions since 2001. Those crimes included third-degree rape of a child, communication with a minor for immoral purposes and failing to register as a Level 3 sex offender.

He had been the focus of community alerts while living in Arlington.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation continues to investigate what led up to the gunfire.