No charges for Spanaway homeowner who shot suspected intruder
Sep 15, 2025, 5:17 PM | Updated: 5:18 pm
Deputies arrive after a homeowner shot and killed a man he says was trying to enter his Spanaway home. (Photo courtesy of the Pierce County Sheriff's Dept.)
(Photo courtesy of the Pierce County Sheriff's Dept.)
Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputies said no charges are expected against a Spanaway homeowner who shot and killed an alleged intruder.
The intruder was reportedly trying to break into the homeowner’s house near 13th Avenue Court East and 160th Street around 1:45 a.m. Sunday.
The 51-year-old homeowner immediately called 911 to report he had shot an intruder.
When deputies arrived, they found a 36-year-old suspect on the back porch of the house, with a single gunshot wound. Officers attempted life-saving measures to keep him alive, but he died at the scene.
“No proper, legal gun owner wants to ever shoot anybody. It’s meant to protect you and protect your family, and that’s exactly what this homeowner was doing,” Pierce County Deputy Carly Cappetto told KIRO Newsradio.
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Suspect recorded walking around other houses in Spanaway
Investigators said that before the intruder was shot, surveillance cameras recorded the man walking around several other houses in the neighborhood. He was even caught on tape in the moments before he was shot and killed.
“That suspect can be seen holding a firearm in his hand and actively kicking and banging on that back door,” Cappetto said. “It seems to be a case of self-defense.”
Deputies said the homeowner cooperated with the investigation and was not arrested.
This story was originally published on September 14, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.
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