Officer-involved shooting in Burien leaves one dead

BURIEN, Wash. -- A deputy shot and killed a man who refused to drop his weapon, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Jason Houck said deputies used a Taser on the man several times after he refused to get on the ground. As he continued to move towards them, a deputy pulled his gun and shot the man.

“They were giving verbal demands. They tried the Taser and obviously that didn’t work," said Sgt. Jason Houck.

Deputies confronted the man who neighbors say tried to attack them with a knife in a neighborhood near 3rd Avenue South and South 136th Street.

The King County Sheriff’s Office initially responded just before midnight for a report of gunshots. A neighbor told investigators he fired a warning shot to scare off the armed man who was chasing his friend and stabbed his front door with the knife.

Detectives are now looking into the circumstances that led up to shooting. Sgt. Houck said deputies made several attempts to get the man to drop his weapon before using deadly force.

"They want to be safe. They want everyone else to be safe and unfortunately that was what our officer felt was the option he had left,” said Sgt. Houck.

Paramedics rushed the man to Harborview Medical Center where he later died. Investigators are still working to identify him.

The deputy involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.