Enumclaw man shot after pointing rifle at deputies responding to domestic violence call

ENUMCLAW, Wash. -- King County sheriff's deputies responding to a domestic violence call shot a suspect accused of pointing a rifle at the deputies.

The sheriff's office said when officers arrived at the home in Enumclaw, a woman and children got out the house safely. A short time later, a man came out with a gun.

"The deputies heard something, he lifted up his night vision goggles and said basically they saw him walking down the driveway with a rifle pointed at them," said King County Sgt. Cindi West. "Clearly they weren't expecting it, they thought he was still in the house. They ordered him to drop the rifle, he refused to and pointed the rifle at the deputies -- at which point the deputies fired."

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center. Authorities said he was expected to survive.

West said it was so dark a deputy had to use night vision goggles to see what was going on.

"I shudder to think what would have happened had they not had the night vision and this guy had continued to sneak up on them. I don't know what his intention was, but it certainly doesn't sound good."