A Centralia police officer shot and killed a burglary suspect armed with a knife early Tuesday morning, according to a press release from the Centralia Police Department.
Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod identified the suspect as Joshua Flores, 18, of Centralia who was killed by a “penetrating gunshot wound to the chest”. The officer who fired the round, Fredrick Mercer, has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated by a multi-jurisdictional team.
Contrary to a release sent out by the coroner’s office, Centralia police identified the deceased as a Winlock resident with Centralia ties.
According to police reports, at 4:54 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of Logan Street in reference to a burglary. Dispatch audio obtained by The Chronicle indicates the caller said the suspect was armed with some sort of weapon and was attempting to kick in a house’s door. Shortly after, the dispatcher advised officers the suspect had gained entry into the house through a window.
Initially, the caller told the dispatcher — who then relayed the information to police — that the man was armed with an axe. Police, in a press release, described the weapon as a knife.
The suspect was seen leaving the house, only to attempt to gain entry into a neighboring residence, according to dispatch audio.
Centralia officers requested assistance from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, while the caller advised dispatchers that the man was outside, walking toward an alleyway. Later, the caller said the man was standing at the edge of the alleyway.
Minutes later, a first responder came on the radio, saying: “Shots fired, send aid.”
One first responder can be heard in the audio saying the suspect was suffering from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
“The suspect failed to comply with orders to stop advancing towards the officers and was shot,” reads a press release.
Flores was sent to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. McLeod confirmed Flores died in Lewis County.
Mercer has been an officer with Centralia’s department since 2012, and has been in law enforcement since 2009. The team investigating the shooting — the Region Three Critical Incident Team — consists of investigators from Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor, Pacific counties and Washington State Patrol. Centralia Police Chief Carl Nielsen said Grays Harbor County will lead the investigation, the findings of which will help prosecutors determine whether the shooting was justified.
Dispatch audio from 4:59 a.m. -- 5:29 a.m. Tuesday, June 18. "Shots fired" is at 6:14.
