Washington police fatally shoot man who had shotgun in yard

YAKIMA — Police officers in Central Washington fatally shot a 27-year-old man Wednesday who was armed with a short-barreled shotgun in his front yard, police said.

Yakima police Capt. Jay Seely said police went to a local residence around 7:10 a.m. after a 911 caller said his brother was suffering mental health issues, off his medication and armed with a sawed-off shotgun, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.

The family barricaded themselves inside their home after the man said “he wanted to shoot someone,” Seely said.

Three arriving officers ordered the man to put down the gun but they said the man leveled the weapon at them, and they opened fire, Seely said. The police officers provided first aid until paramedics arrived but the man died at the scene, he said.

The Yakima Valley Special Investigations Unit, an interagency unit that handles shootings by police, will investigate this shooting. The three officers who fired their weapons were placed on standard administrative leave.

The Yakima Police Department will conduct its own administrative review to determine if the shooting complied with department policies, Seely said.

Authorities have not released the name of the man killed or the names of the police officers who fired weapons.