Lacey police shot and killed a domestic violence suspect Thursday night after he allegedly fired at officers, shooting one with a bullet that ended up lodged in the officer’s bulletproof vest, police said.
A woman who “had taken her kids and fled to a neighbor’s house” called police around 8:30 p.m., Lt. Paul Lower of the Olympia Police Department said.
Police responded to the reported domestic violence, talked with the woman and determined there was probable cause to arrest the man, Lower said.
When they went to arrest him, he began to resist and fight, Lower said. He then pulled out a handgun and shot at the two officers, Lower said.
Both officers returned fire, Lower said, and the man was declared dead at the scene.
Lower said a bullet, presumably from the domestic violence suspect, was lodged in an officer’s bulletproof vest. Both officers also had cuts and bruises from the fight, he said.
The shooting is being investigated by the capital metro independent investigation team. The team includes detectives and investigators from the Olympia, Yelm, Tumwater and Lacey police departments, but the Lacey investigators have withdrawn from this investigation, Lower said.
Both officers are on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.