Sheriff's Deputies Shoot, Kill Machete-Wielding Ravensdale-Area Man

King County sheriff's deputies shot and killed a 19-year-old Ravensdale-area man brandishing a machete Saturday night, the Sheriff's Office said Sunday.

The incident began when Buckley police first began to pursue the man along with Enumclaw police and the Washington State Patrol.

A Buckley officer had pulled the man over for a traffic stop after his vehicle was found to be associated with outstanding warrants, said Buckley police Chief Jim Arsanto. The man was reportedly compliant with the officer until he was returning to the suspect's car to inform him that he would be placed under arrest for those warrants. He drove off at that point, Arsanto said, leading officers on a low speed pursuit where speeds were around five to seven miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

They chased him into the Cumberland area of southeast King County. From there, the Sheriff's Office was alerted to the chase at 11:05 p.m. and took over.

Deputies, following up on the man's vehicle registration, found the unoccupied car--a 1978 Ford Fiesta--down a rural road in the 28500 block of Retreat-Kanaskat Road.

One deputy checking the area found the suspect on the road at 11:41 p.m. carrying a large machete. He reportedly walked up to the deputy's car and slashed down the hood of the car with the weapon.

The deputy called for help, but the man refused to drop the machete. Two deputies fired Tasers at him but did not appear to make good contact. Three deputies then fired multiple shots, which subdued him.

Deputies treated the suspect with trauma dressings and supplied a bag mask to help him breathe. A deputy also began chest compressions after they lost a pulse. Rescue efforts continued until the Maple Valley Fire Department arrived to take over primary care; they stopped life-saving efforts at 12:05 a.m.

The three deputies who fired shots have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard in these situations. According to Sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart, this is the first suspect shooting that the sheriff's office has been involved in this year.

The suspect reportedly had three warrants for his arrest for traffic-related offenses, the Sheriff's Office statement said. Buckley police had first dealt with him about a year ago, Arsanto said. At the time, he was combative with officers and so was listed in the state computer database as "potentially dangerous to officers" for statements he'd made where he threatened to kill police.