GRANITE FALLS — A Lynnwood man was shot Monday evening after he began walking toward Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies carrying a hatchet, officials say.
The man, 34, earlier had texted a friend, reportedly saying that he was suicidal and considering hanging himself, Kristin Banfield, a spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team, said Tuesday evening.
He then found the man and his vehicle along the Mountain Loop Highway at the winter-closure gate near Deer Creek.
The man was intoxicated and had a rope, which the friend took before driving to the U.S. Forest Service station at Verlot to call 911, Banfield said.
Deputies arrived at about 8:20 p.m. and reportedly tried talking to the man as he sat in his truck. The man was said to have a large knife and threatened to harm himself.
“He then armed himself with a hatchet, exited the truck and walked toward the deputies. One deputy attempted to use a Taser while another fired his sidearm,” Banfield said in a news release.
Multiple weapons were later recovered at the scene.
Aid was provided to the wounded man until fire crews reached the scene. He was transported to Verlot and then taken by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
An update on the man’s condition wasn’t available Tuesday.
The shooting is being investigated by SMART, a cadre of seasoned detectives from departments around the county. The team focuses solely on officer-involved shootings and other use-of-force cases. Its findings are sent to county prosecutors for review.
The man’s interactions with deputies are being investigated, Banfield said. The deputy who shot the man, an 18-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, has been placed on administrative leave. That’s standard practice in shootings involving police.
Monday’s shooting was the second involving sheriff’s deputies in roughly a month. On Jan. 21, a Lake Stevens man was fatally shot by deputies during an encounter under the U.S. 2 trestle east of Everett. That man reportedly had told his wife he was suicidal and hoped police would shoot him.
Reporter Caleb Hutton contributed to this story.
Scott North: 425-339-3431; north@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snorthnews.
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