A tense incident unfolded late Monday morning in Centralia, Washington, on the 400 block of North Ash Street. According to the Centralia Police Department, officers were called to the area just before 11 a.m., and what started as a routine response quickly escalated.
When the first officer arrived, they encountered a man who became confrontational. Things took a serious turn, leading to a physical struggle between the officer and the man. During the fight, the officer shot the individual. Emergency responders tried their best to save him, but sadly, the man didn’t survive.
The officer involved in the altercation was hurt but is expected to recover. Thankfully, no bystanders were injured during the incident.
As is standard practice in such situations, the officer has been placed on administrative leave while the matter is investigated. The Centralia Police Department has called in the Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII) to take over the case. This ensures an unbiased look into what happened, as required by Washington state law.
Investigators from the OII are now at the scene, examining every detail. To provide transparency, the police department confirmed that footage from the officer’s body-worn camera will be reviewed and released in the near future. However, Centralia police personnel won’t be involved in the investigation to maintain impartiality.
Right now, the details of what exactly led to the confrontation are still emerging. The Centralia Police Department emphasized that this is just the beginning of the investigation, and more updates will be shared as they become available.
