Police: 7 Puyallup, Milton officers shoot, kill man who opened fire near Puyallup Recreation Center



PUYALLUP, Wash. -- Seven police officers shot and killed a man who abandoned a van on Valley Avenue Northwest, tried to hide behind a pole and then opened fire Friday night, the Puyallup Police Department said.

The incident began when the Fife Police Department received a report of a reckless drive in the 4300 block of 70th Avenue East. "The reporting party described the vehicle as swerving into oncoming traffic and stopping in the middle of the road."

Two minutes later, Puyallup police officers received similar reports of  a reckless driver.  According to the Puyallup Police Department, witnesses said the vehicle was doing U-turns in the middle of the roadway and driving on sidewalks.

At 3:52 p.m., a Puyallup police officer found the vehicle -- a van -- stopped in the center turn lane in the 800 block of Valley Avenue Northwest and discovered it had been abandoned. The officer saw a shotgun lying on the front seat.

As officers searched the area, they heard a shot fired from an open space south of the Puyallup Recreation Center.

Officers from the Puyallup and Milton police departments found the man taking cover behind a large utility pole. "Officers attempted to negotiate with the subject for several minutes to no avail," the police department said.

He then fired a shot, police said. At that point, five Puyallup police officers and two Milton police officers returned fire, killing the man. Officers found a semi-automatic rifle next to his body.

"The suspect's identity has yet to be confirmed," the Puyallup Police Department said, adding that the county's medical examiner was working to identify the man and that detectives were trying to uncover possible motives for his actions.

All seven officers who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation.

No officers were injured.