Shootout on South Hill: Deputies, domestic violence suspect exchange gunfire in Puyallup

Pierce County deputies were involved in a shootout with a domestic violence suspect at a home on Puyallup’s South Hill Sunday.

Deputies were initially called to respond to reports of gunfire after a 45-year-old suspect allegedly fired shots and threatened three others at a home about a mile south of Puyallup’s South Hill Mall. The home is located on 106th Ave. Ct. E., just east of Meridian Ave.

“There was a woman and two children at the home who had fled the home out of the back window,” Pierce County Sheriff’s Spokesperson Carly Cappetto said.

The woman, 45, was slightly hurt while escaping. Neighboring houses had to be evacuated due to the danger of stray bullets flying in their direction.

Disturbance becomes an officer-involved shooting

When deputies arrived, there was another exchange of gunfire. At least one deputy fired their service weapon.

The suspect eventually came out. He was injured, but the extent of his injuries is currently unknown, as of this reporting. It’s unclear whether he suffered a gunshot wound.

After he’s released from the hospital, he’ll be booked into Pierce County Jail.

The independent Pierce County Force Investigation Team, comprised of law enforcement personnel from other nearby cities, will take over the investigation into this officer-involved shooting.

It has been an unusually violent weekend for deputies in Pierce County for the last several days, but Cappetto can’t put her finger on the exact reason for so many weapons-related calls.

On Thursday, deputies found a couple dead from gunshot wounds in a bedroom of their Spanaway home, and a 14-year-old girl hiding in another bedroom. Friday night in Parkland, investigators believe a 41-year-old man suffering from mental health issues shot and killed his 63-year-old father.

And there was a succession of domestic violence incidents on Sunday.

“I can’t say why today, particularly, has been a domestic violence type of day,” Cappetto said. “Today, we’ve had three domestic violence calls on the board, all involving weapons. Obviously, this one (the Puyallup shooting) was the most serious, but we have resources being pulled in all different directions. We really do encourage people to get the help they need, and to think about the decisions they are making, and step away from situations when they escalate like this.”

Contributing: Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest