Man Found Dead In Puyallup Home; Woman Injured In Police Shootout

PUYALLUP, WA — A man was found dead inside a Puyallup home and a woman was injured in a shootout with police as they conducted a welfare check at the home.

According to the Puyallup Police Department, the man's parents called officers and requested police check on their son who they had not heard from since the weekend.

Just after 6 p.m., officers arrived at the home the man shared with his wife and four children in the 500 block of Valley Avenue NE.

When police got to the house, they only found the man's 34-year-old wife, who they say refused to respond to their requests. Other family members at the home reportedly told officers the husband was asleep, but police say that as they investigated, they became more and more concerned about the husband's health — especially after discovering the wife was armed with multiple guns.

Around 8:50 p.m., police ordered the family to evacuate the home and called in a Tactical Response Team and negotiators to speak to the woman. The team made contact with the woman in the backyard of the house, but police say after a short talk, she pulled a gun and fired multiple shots at the officers. The officers returned fire, hitting and injuring the woman.

She has since been taken to a nearby hospital. The exact severity of her injuries is unknown, but she is expected to survive. No officers were injured.

After the shootout, police searched the home and found the 31-year-old man dead inside. His cause of death is still under investigation.

The Pierce County Force Investigation Team (PCFIT) has been called in to investigate the officer's use of force in this case. Washington state law requires that all police shootings be investigated by an independent law enforcement agency.