CHEHALIS, Wash. (AP) — The Lewis County prosecutor says a sheriff’s deputy was justified in shooting a burglary suspect at Napavine.
Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said Deputy Matt McKnight feared for his life June 20 after hearing that Steve Peterson had used a knife to repeatedly stab into the front door of a home and the hood of a pickup truck.
KELA reports that although the 33-year-old Napavine man was unarmed at the time he confronted the deputy, Peterson refused to take his hands out of his pockets and charged the deputy. The prosecutor said the deputy had no choice but to fire. Peterson died at the scene.
The Lewis County sheriff’s office says it’s also conducting an internal review of the shooting.
