Shoplifting suspect hit, killed by vehicle while running from Mt. Vernon police



MT. VERNON, Wash. -- A man suspected of shoplifting from Walmart in Mt. Vernon was hit by a vehicle and died while running from police, according to Washington State Patrol.

Troopers said it happened about 8:25 p.m. Wednesday, when Mt. Vernon officers responded to a shoplifter running away from Walmart on Freeway Drive. A witness told police what the man was wearing and said the suspect was carrying a plastic bag and running near Burgermaster just south of Walmart.

A police officer found the suspect and tried to make contact with him, but he reportedly ran away. As the officer chased him, the suspect started running across Freeway Drive. Troopers said that's when the officer tased the man, which caused him to fall to the ground.

The suspect was struck by a passing vehicle and died at the scene.

Mount Vernon Police Department contacted the Skagit Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART), which is comprised of multiple detectives from several Skagit County police agencies, to oversee the investigation.

The man who died has not been identified, nor has the officer who tased him.