EVERETT — A man was fatally shot Sunday evening in a confrontation with Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies under the U.S. 2 trestle.
The dead man was 35 and from Lake Stevens.
His wife at about 8 p.m. reported the man was suicidal and wanted the police to kill him, said Kristin Banfield, a spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team.
She did not know where he was, but earlier in the day had gone bird hunting. Sheriff’s deputies found the man and his vehicle in a gravel parking lot on Ebey Island.
The deputies attempted to talk to the man. He “was not compliant and came out holding what appeared to be a weapon,” Banfield said in a prepared statement.
Deputies fired multiple shots. The man died at the scene. A firearm has been recovered, Banfield said.
There were no other reported injuries.
“The deputies are all fine,” sheriff’s Lt. Steve McDonald said Sunday evening.
While he offered no details about the 9 p.m. shooting, McDonald said no officer wants to use deadly force and “they will only pull that trigger as the very last resort.”
The shooting occurred “directly underneath” the trestle, McDonald said.
Authorities closed off Homeacres Road underneath the trestle as they investigated. U.S. 2 remained open.
A trio of deputies were involved in the incident. In keeping with policy, each is now on administrative leave. They include a a sheriff’s sergeant with a decade of experience and two deputies; one with a dozen years experience, the other two.
The Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team is investigating. About 20 detectives were at the scene on Sunday night.
