Kent police shoot, kill man drinking gasoline armed with circular saw

A domestic violence call between a woman and a man, reportedly armed with a saw, ended with Kent police shooting and killing the man.

Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Kent Police Department (KPD) received a call about a verbal argument and a man who was behaving erratically.

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The woman called the police and told them that the man was refusing to leave, was drunk, and was drinking and pouring gasoline on himself.

When police responded to their address at the 12200 block of Southeast 259th Place, they contacted the man, who reportedly armed himself with a circular saw.

Officers tried to subdue the man with less-lethal measures while putting some distance between themselves and the man, but officers claimed that he started to advance on them with the saw.

Moments later, officers shot the man.

Officers immediately tried to perform life-saving aid with the help of Puget Sound Fire medics, but the 52-year-old Kent man died at the scene.

The Valley Independent Investigative Team is investigating the shooting. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.