ARLINGTON — The shots that killed a sniper east of Arlington on Sept. 2 are believed to have been fired by law officers from the inside of an armored SWAT vehicle, according to court records.
The SWAT vehicle was sprayed with at least a half dozen bullets.
Two deputies shot through small port holes as the specially designed vehicle neared the suspect who was concealed by a dip in the woodsy terrain and shrubs. They were within about 15 feet when the fatal shots were fired, according to a search warrant that provides new details about the gun battle.
Robert Endrizzi, 60, died from multiple gunshot wounds fired by law enforcement officers, according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office. His death is being investigated by the Snohomish County Multiple-Agency Response Team, a task force of homicide detectives from departments around the county who probe cases involving police and deadly force.
Detectives found the SWAT vehicle had been hit by six or seven bullets on its passenger side, court papers said.
Drivers of a car and a pickup truck also reported their vehicles were struck by bullets.
The car was hit five times and a window was shattered, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.
The pickup was hit four times.
A bullet also pierced a cooler in a boat that was being towed by another vehicle, Ireton said.
Investigators may never know how many shots Endrizzi fired, Ireton said.
“The investigation is on-going and we are continuing with interviews,” Ireton said.
The search warrant provides other details about the chaotic afternoon in the 1700 block of Jim Creek Road east of Arlington.
The drama began around 1:30 p.m. that Sunday when a 911 dispatcher took a call from a man who reported being shot in the calf while he was near his driveway. The dispatcher asked him if he thought the shooter was taking careless target practice. He said he believed someone was shooting at people.
A Snohomish County sheriff’s sergeant soon arrived at the scene. Within six minutes, he requested help from the Snohomish County SWAT team.
Around the same time, a dispatcher received a call from the Jim Creek Naval Radio Station where a man and woman stopped at the gate to report that their car had been sprayed with bullets along the same stretch of roadway where the man had been shot in the leg.
Seven officers were in the armored vehicle, the search warrant said. At one point, a deputy got out of the vehicle and fired at the suspect.
After Endrizzi was fatally shot, officers found a rifle with a scope and tripod near his body, court papers said.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com
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