Jan. 08--Tacoma police fatally shot a man who exchanged gunfire with them outside a burning house late Sunday, authorities reported.
The man was crawling on the lawn outside a burning Tacoma house with a rifle in his hand as firefighters battled the flames in the 400 block of South 59th Street. Neighbors called 911 with concerns about the man. Witnesses said he appeared to be drunk as he started walking down Pacific Avenue.
Police arrived about 10:45 p.m. and ordered the man to put down his gun. He allegedly refused.
"They exchanged gunfire," police spokeswoman Loretta Cool said.
None of the seven officers who fired their weapons was injured.
The man, believed to be 27 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the man lived at the burning home. A woman who also lived there was uninjured.
South 59th Street and Fawcett Avenue were expected to be closed for hours due to the ongoing investigation.
The seven officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a police shooting.
They include a 35-year-old woman who has been with the department for two years; a 44-year-old man who has been with the department for 18 years; a 25-year-old man who was hired two years ago; a 52-year-old man who is a 12-year veteran with the department; a 32-year-old man who has been on the force for seven months; a 42-year-old man who has been with the department for 18 months; and a 33-year-old man who was hired 12 years ago.
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