South Hill, WA neighbors recall deadly shooting involving deputies

Suspect shot, killed by deputies in Puyallup

Pierce County deputies shot and killed a suspect early Monday morning in South Hill after responding to reports of a man firing a weapon outside a home.

PUYALLUP, Wash. - A man is dead, and an independent investigation has been launched, after Pierce County deputies shot him in South Hill on Monday morning.

This comes after people called 911 reporting the man had fired gunshots outside their home, according to investigators.

Neighbors told FOX 13 News the area is fairly quiet and people keep to themselves, but leading up to this incident they heard screeching tires and arguing.

Now, Pierce County's Force Investigation Team is digging into what led to deputies firing shots as those deputies are now on administrative leave, which is standard protocol.

"It's just kind of shocking when it actually does happen and when it's close to your house," neighbor Alexander Rambert said.

Yellow crime tape, bullet holes in a truck, and a street crowded with patrol cars are all part of what neighbors woke up to on 156th Street Court East in South Hill on Monday.

"I heard kind of like that screeching noise a car makes when it's going too fast, and probably four loud gunshots, faint commotion," neighbor Sebastian Hale said.

Pierce County Sheriff's investigators said just after 2 a.m., they responded to a call from people who said a man in a suspicious vehicle had fired a gunshot outside their home. Officials said deputies spoke with the callers and determined they had probable cause to make an arrest for felony harassment. PCFIT investigators said there was a reported shots fired incident earlier in the evening.

What they're saying:

We spoke with one neighbor who did not want to be identified, but shared what he heard.

"A few people, like a neighbor of mine, go just started going back and forth and I heard a couple loud pops. I wasn't sure if they were gunshots or not at the time," the neighbor said.

Officials with PCFIT said on the scene three deputies found a man asleep inside the truck. They told us they tried to talk with him, but a short time later called out shots had been fired.

No deputies were hurt.

Investigators told FOX 13 News they tried to give first aid to the man. He died.

"I've been here for eight, nine years and there's been a few incidents down there. I can't recollect when," Rambert said.

Officials did not confirm any history of problem calls at the home.

The chaos certainly shook neighbors up.

"You never know what will happen. Always, like you said, stay safe," Rambert said.

There are lingering questions about who fired the first shot and if the suspect shot at all when deputies arrived.

At least one neighbor nearby told us off-camera that he believed he heard deputies fire the first shot. He also told us the man who was in the truck lived in the home. Investigators did not confirm that or any other details about the man.

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