Man shot by Thurston County Sheriff’s deputy identified

The Thurston County Coroner’s Office has identified the man fatally shot by a Thurston County Sheriff’s deputy on Tuesday night as a 29-year-old local man.

The man’s last-known address was in Lacey, said Coroner Gary Warnock. His name won’t be released until the man’s next of kin has been notified of his death.

Because he wasn’t carrying identification, he was identified using fingerprints, Warnock said. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Lt. Cliff Ziesemer of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said people can be identified using fingerprints if they have served in the military or if they have a criminal history.

The deputy who shot the man is a 19-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office. Ziesemer said he won’t be identified until an investigation into the incident is completed by the Regional Critical Incident Team, an interdepartmental group of law enforcement officers.

The deputy has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which will be conducted by detectives from the Lewis County, Mason County and Grays Harbor County sheriff’s offices.

Ziesemer said the investigation likely will be completed this week.

The deputy was driving west on 93rd Avenue Southeast, at the south end of the Olympia Regional Airport, about 4 p.m. Tuesday when he saw a man walking along the side of the road. When the man saw the deputy, he ran onto airport property, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The deputy stopped and made contact with the man. The two talked for a few minutes, then the man began punching the deputy in the face and head. The man then climbed into the deputy’s SUV.

The man began driving in reverse. The driver side door was open, and the deputy stood on the running board trying to remove the man from the vehicle and shift it out of gear, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The deputy used a stun gun in an attempt to subdue the man, but the Sheriff’s Office said it had no effect.

The man accelerated into the road, striking a white passenger car that had been driving east on 93rd Avenue. The driver of the car sustained minor injuries.

The deputy stayed on the running board, and the man continued to accelerate, the Sheriff’s Office reported. The deputy then shot the man in the chest, and the SUV stopped in some trees.

Medics responded and tried to revive the man, but he died at the scene, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 9:10 AM with the headline "Man shot by Thurston County Sheriff’s deputy identified."