TACOMA — An off-duty Tacoma police officer shot and killed a man who refused to drop his gun after stealing a woman’s cell phone, the department said.
It happened after two men saw the suspect steal the woman’s phone at a bus stop late Wednesday afternoon. They chased him to a truck and struggled with him as the officer happened to drive by, said police spokeswoman Loretta Cool.
According to Cool, the suspect pulled a gun, pointed it at the men and got in his truck. The officer got out of his car, identified himself as police, and ordered the suspect several times to drop his weapon. The officer then fired a single shot.
The man briefly drove off before crashing into a street sign. Medics took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
