Ex-Ranger shot dead: with follow-up

[callithump]

From: http://www.katu.com/news/local/46554332.html

GRANITE FALLS, Wash. -- A dispute over weeds Friday afternoon ended with a 40-year-old man being shot to death by a Snohomish County Sheriff's Deputy.

The incident occurred around 3:50 p.m. Friday in the 10900 block of Mountain Loop Highway, said Sgt. Robert Goetz with the Everett Police Department. Goetz said no deputies were hurt.

Two Snohomish County employees were spraying for weeds along the county road when the homeowner came out and told them to go away or he would get a gun, Goetz said.

The workers called police then left. A short time later, a deputy and a reserve officer responded to the scene. Goetz said the homeowner had a handgun, and a confrontation ensued. It ended when several shots were fired and the man was dead.

Police say they don't know who fired the first shot or who fired the shots. Witnesses reported hearing three to five shots.

"It's just unbelievable," said neighbor Marie Tharp. "I can't fix it and that's the worst part -- you keep thinking you can fix it."

Neighbors identified the man as "Dan" and said he was a crane operator at Boeing. He was a former Army Ranger with a slight limp who loved his dog and restored old cars.

Tharp said Dan was a constant support when her husband died five years ago.

"He said that living up here calmed him down and gave him peace," she said.

The deputy was placed on administrative leave as is standard policy in deputy involved shootings. He is in his 40s and has been with the department for about 20 years. The reserve deputy has volunteered with the sheriff's office for the past 25 years.



This link as posted by the Times lists some interesting comments first.
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/reader_feedback/public/display.php?thread=130636

[Green Mountain Gringo]

It is bizarre what can cause somebody to go off their rocker like this.  Paranoia? Schizophrenia? Too many meds, too little meds?  WRONG meds?

Or just a prick!

[Ping]

Sad for the ex-ranger. Makes you wonder about the neighbors comment about how he was "living up here calmed him down and gave him peace". Sounds like he was a bit anti-social?

[tombogan03884]

Sad for the ex-ranger. Makes you wonder about the neighbors comment about how he was "living up here calmed him down and gave him peace". Sounds like he was a bit anti-social?

I don't think you are being at all fair here.  Just because some one gets sick of the rat race does not make them anti social.

It is bizarre what can cause somebody to go off their rocker like this.  Paranoia? Schizophrenia? Too many meds, too little meds?  WRONG meds?

Or just a prick!

Doesn't sound like a "prick" at all to hear what his neighbor had to say. Nor does being adamant about not wanting poisonous chemicals sprayed on his land mean he needed some kind of "meds" or that he had mental problems. While the length of service of the officers raises questions the fact that there were no comments about THEIR personalities means that there is not enough evidence to judge this unfortunate incident.

[Green Mountain Gringo]

I don't think you are being at all fair here.  Just because some one gets sick of the rat race does not make them anti social.

Doesn't sound like a "prick" at all to hear what his neighbor had to say. Nor does being adamant about not wanting poisonous chemicals sprayed on his land mean he needed some kind of "meds" or that he had mental problems. While the length of service of the officers raises questions the fact that there were no comments about THEIR personalities means that there is not enough evidence to judge this unfortunate incident.

We are a peaceful society...or at least we're supposed to be.  If you get pissed off at the neighbor for something....and then the cops show up to discuss this with you.....you should leave the gun back in the house.

It's a suave move.

[Sponsor]

[twyacht]

Tragic story, I think the initial reaction of the former Ranger to "get his gun", rather than call the county, or beat the employees up with fists, started a bad and fatal reaction.

There is more to this story than the report reads. Something triggered such a violent reaction to "weed control".

[callithump]

There are some concerns now as more information is coming in. This is the local update:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090603/NEWS01/706039753

Comment from that link:

"Dan (Boeing Employee) kicked Sonny (Noxious Weed Control) off his property because Sonny had made the same arrogant statements he had in the past with promising to get a warrant to get access to spray. Same process that Sonny uses on people every year in the basin. Sonny's arrogance is evident in his actions. After being chased off Dan's property, Sonny should have stayed off the property but instead, after he called the Police, he guided the Deputies back to Dan's house and pulled into his driveway ahead of the deputies. Dan ran into the house and got the gun and leveled it at Sonny over the hood of the county truck and told him to get the (expletive deleted) off his property. At that point he was shot from the road by the Deputies. Per Sonny's statement the gun was not pointed at the cop and per Sonny, he heard the cops shout "Drop your weapon" followed by 4 pops.

Why the heck would Sonny have pulled back into the driveway of a guy who threatened him with a gun? So many parts of Sonny's story just don't add up, it is fairly obvious he concocts several facets.

This story will have the unfortunate ending of being written off as a never ending investigation till it fades from public view interpreted by most as a nut waving a gun at a cop.

Personally I believe that since Sonny's job is to interact professionally and amicably with the public, he should be replaced by someone who can carry their self with less arrogance and more concern for the property owners. Resignation comes to mind, after all, his actions have a part in the death of an individual who would not have died otherwise.


What a tragedy.

RIP Dan, hopefully SNO will change their ways, fire Sonny and change police procedures."

[Angie]

My guess is that it was a "suicide by cop", based upon what a former Marine turned cop told me.  He said that Army Rangers are among the most lethal creatures on the planet & that much of the scenario didn't add-up (in his mind).  He said the former Ranger probably anticipated a police response and cranked-off a few rounds to force the cops to shoot him.  The former Ranger could've just as easily set-up to ambush the arriving officers, whom he almost certainly would've expected.

Tragic...