What started out as a vehicle fire at a residence during the morning hours of Thursday, June 4, on 149th Lane Southeast in Yelm quickly turned into a more serious situation, as a Yelm-area resident was shot after they reportedly charged a Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) deputy with a firearm.
According to a media release from TCSO, a deputy arrived at the residence shortly after 9 a.m. at the request of Southeast Thurston Fire Authority for a fully engulfed vehicle fire.
The residence was previously tagged as a caution for “previous violent criminal activity,” a tag that prohibited the fire department from responding alone.
After arriving at the scene, a responding deputy gave commands to a subject to step away from the vehicle fire.
The subject allegedly presented a firearm and charged towards the deputy. In response, the deputy fired their gun several times — striking the subject in the process.
TCSO deputies and Yelm Police Department officers removed a second firearm from the subject and issued medical aid, according to the TCSO news release.
The vehicle fire was extinguished after aid was rendered to the subject.
The identity of the shot subject has not been released. They were transported to the hospital with injuries “not expected to be life threatening,” according to TCSO.
According to standard protocol, the TCSO deputy involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave due to the shooting. The deputy’s name has not been released.
Thus far, the information released is preliminary and an investigation of the incident is ongoing, according to TCSO.
TCSO notified the Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII) of the incident, in compliance with RCW 43.102.
OII declined the investigation, meaning that Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team was issued notice of the incident.
That team has begun its investigation.
Any bodycam footage that captured the incident will be reviewed and released, in line with TCSO’s Body Worn Camera Program policies.
TCSO will not be involved in the independent investigation, in compliance with state law.
Once Region 3 CIT’s investigation is concluded, the case will be forwarded to the Thurston County Prosecutor's Office for review.
“The Thurston County Sheriff's Office would like to thank Yelm Police Department and Medics for the immediate response and assistance,” TCSO said in a news release.
This incident is the second officer-involved shooting that TCSO has been involved in this year.
Three TCSO deputies fatally shot and killed a suspect who was allegedly shooting at them from a backyard in the Olympia area on April 28.
The suspect had been involved in a police pursuit with TCSO earlier that day.
OII is handling the ongoing investigation into that incident. The three involved deputies have been on administrative leave since the incident occurred, and will remain so until OII’s investigation is completed and reviewed by the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office.
