WSP trooper dies after he is hit by fleeing suspect
A Washington State Patrol trooper died at an area hospital Tuesday night after he was hit by a suspect fleeing from Thurston County deputies earlier in the day.
The State Patrol identified the trooper as Justin Schaffer, 28, who had been a trooper for seven years.
Schaffer was attempting to deploy spike strips on southbound I-5 near Chehalis in Lewis County when the fleeing vehicle hit him, according to a State Patrol news release.
It was originally reported that Schaffer was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Instead, he was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital where he later died.
The crash took place near milepost 79 about 3 p.m., which closed all lanes of southbound I-5. Meanwhile, the suspect continued on to milepost 76 where he initially barricaded himself in his vehicle, but was soon taken into custody. Southbound I-5 reopened about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Thurston County Sheriff’s deputies had pursued the suspect Tuesday afternoon, following an incident they responded to on Monday.
About 2:45 p.m. Monday, the suspect exited a store in the 9100 block of Pacific Avenue Southeast after failing to pay for lighter fluid, Lt. Ray Brady said.
The store clerk confronted the suspect, who allegedly threatened the clerk and a customer with a stun gun. The suspect then got into his vehicle, threatened to drive into the clerk, then drove off, Brady said.
Deputies spotted the suspect’s vehicle Tuesday afternoon in the area of Maytown and he was pursued into Lewis County, he said.
Schaffer was the 30th member of the State Patrol to die in the line of duty. He is survived by his wife, mother, father and a brother, according to the State Patrol.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 8:51 PM.
