LYNNWOOD — The man shot and killed after a confrontation Saturday with a Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy was on parole and had a warrant out for his arrest, officials said Monday.
The warrant was issued four days earlier, when Justin Gaswint failed to report to a community corrections offi
cer, according to the state Department of Corrections. He served time in prison for assault.
Members of Gaswint’s family said Monday they are anxious to learn more about the circumstances that resulted in the deadly shooting.
In an email statement, the family said that investigators have not provided them any details about what led to the shooting.
They said they found an initial description by a police spokesman difficult to comprehend.
“Events surrounding the shooting as described by the police spokesman are inconsistent and uncharacteristic of Justin,” the family wrote. “The family requests that any witnesses please come forward.”
Police say the fatal confrontation occurred around 5:30 a.m. Saturday after a Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy stopped to talk with Gaswint on the 164th Street I-5 overpass.
Gaswint, 32, allegedly charged and threatened to kill the deputy as he climbed out of his patrol car, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said. The two men fought and the deputy, 25, shot Gaswint in the chest. The wounded man was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he died.
The incident is under investigation by the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team, which includes major-case detectives from throughout the county and investigates shootings involving police officers. Once its investigation is complete, a prosecutor will decide whether the deputy acted lawfully.
Police had no updates about the investigation Monday.
Other detectives from the team are examining another shooting involving a deputy sheriff that occurred in the Bothell area July 10. In that case, the deputy fatally shot Brandon R. Brown, 27, during a confrontation that occurred as part of a reported domestic violence call. Brown had a history of mental illness and reportedly threatened a deputy with a cane raised over his head. The deputy shot after he tripped and fell in the home’s hallway.
Sheriff’s officials said there is little they can say about either shooting while both investigations are in their early stages.
“We just need to let the investigations run their courses,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.
Goetz said it is hard to predict how long it will take to complete the investigation into Saturday’s shooting.
“The length depends on the complexity of the case,” he said. “As is fairly typical of a case likes this, a lot of the detailed information won’t come out until we send the report over to the prosecutor.”
Gaswint had previous scrapes with the law, according to court records.
In 2008, he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in Pierce County. He was in prison from October 2008 to June 2009, according to state Department of Corrections records. Gaswint had a 2001 conviction for cocaine possession in Snohomish County.
The identity of the deputy who shot him has not been released. The deputy has been with the sheriff’s office for more than three years. He’s been placed on paid administrative leave. That is standard practice during an investigation of an officer-involved shooting.
Any witnesses are asked to call 911 or the Everett Police Department tip line at 425-257-8450.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
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