Retired King County detective who was shot in the line of duty dies in Montana boating accident
Aug 20, 2025, 6:08 AM
A close up of the King County Sheriff's Office insignia on an officer's uniform. (MyNorthwest file photo)
(MyNorthwest file photo)
A recently retired King County detective who was shot in the line of duty in 2023 died in a boating accident in Montana.
The retired detective, David Easterly, 67, jumped from a boat on Montana’s Flathead Lake Saturday afternoon and never resurfaced.
His body was recovered Tuesday at approximately 2 p.m. near the Blue Bay area. His body was transported to the Montana State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
“Our thoughts are with Detective Easterly’s family and all who served with him during his 25-year career with King County,” the King County Sheriff’s Office stated. “We thank the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (MT) for their compassion and service during this time.”
Easterly shot in the line of duty
Easterly was shot while serving an eviction notice in Ballard with two other King County deputies.
He survived two gunshots that bypassed his protective vest after spending months recovering at Harborview Medical Center. He needed multiple surgeries and lost a kidney during recovery.
Doctors called his recovery remarkable. He spent his retirement in Mill Creek.
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