November 15th, 2008 by Meesh

So, earlier today I went online to check on the Commissioner of Public Lands election update and came across the headline ”Olympia Police Officer shoots, kills man after car chase“ within our local paper, The Olympian.  Here’s the story:

LACEY, Wash. – One or more Olympia police officers were involved in a fatal shooting on College Street early this morning after police chased a man who was a suspect in a different shooting that occurred earlier in the evening, authorities said. 

The chase that led to the shooting began in Olympia, in the area of the Shell Station on the east side where Pacific Avenue and Martin Way split, Mack said.

About 5:43 a.m., an Olympia police officer on patrol at that location saw a black Honda that resembled a vehicle that police said was seen after a shooting about 12:30 a.m. in the area of State Avenue and Wilson Street, Mack said. During the earlier shooting at State and Wilson, a man was shot in the leg, and the bullets were thought to have been fired from the black Honda, Mack said.

The injuries to the man who was shot in the leg were not life-threatening, according to an OPD news release.

The Olympia officer attempted to pull over the driver of the black Honda, but the driver fled toward Lacey, Mack said.

The chase ended on College Street, just past 26th Avenue, Mack said. Body damage to the black Honda and one Olympia police patrol vehicle suggest there was some kind of collision between the two vehicles, Mack said.

Mack said that at the time the shooting occurred, three Olympia police officers and two Lacey police officers were on the scene. Mack said no Lacey officers were involved in the shooting. One or more Olympia officers fired the shot or shots that killed the suspect, Mack said.

He said he did not have information on whether more than one Olympia officer is suspected of firing a shot or shots.

A woman who was a passenger in the black Honda was unhurt, Mack said.

Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said about noon today that an autopsy is being performed on the deceased, and that he will have more details later in the afternoon.

Mack said at the county’s officer-involved-shooting critical-incident team headed up by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office will investigate the shooting. He said cars were on the road early this morning when the shooting occurred and asked that anyone with information call the Lacey Police Department at 360-459-4333 or the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office at 360-786-5500.

Whoa!  Yoshi and I were off in dreamland at the time this was taking place, which is kinda a blessing and then again…not so much.  We live off of 25th people and all of this took place on 26th!  CRIPES!!