EVERETT – A special team of detectives investigating a police shooting that left an Everett man dead early Saturday reports that the man greeted officers at his front door and “leveled” a shotgun in their direction.
The man, Dustin Willard, 31, was fatally shot by police when he did not drop the weapon, according to Rebecca Hover, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman. Officers were summoned to the home by neighbors who reported hearing breaking glass and other loud noises.
A blood smear was found the the back door of the house. Whose blood it is or how it got there is not known at this time and is being investigated, Hover said.
KOMO-TV of Seattle has been reporting that the man may have been shot behind his home, based on statements from a neighbor.
“Information that a shooting happened in the back yard of the house is inconsistent with information and evidence gathered by detectives,” Hover said. “If anyone believes they have additional information about this incident, they are encouraged to contact detectives.”
The full text of a statement released by Hover on behalf of the detectives follows:
Armed man leveled shotgun at officers in Saturday’s officer-involved shooting in North Everett
EVERETT — Detectives investigating an officer-involved shooting in this city say the armed man shot by officers Saturday morning opened the front door of the house and leveled a shotgun at the officers who had come to investigate a reported burglary in progress.
The incident began about 1:44 a.m. when neighbors called to report a man breaking the front window and then breaking or kicking in the front door of a nearby house. Neighbors told 911 dispatchers they then heard loud noises coming from the back of the house and thought the same man might be breaking down the back door of the house.
Officers arrived after that. Three of the officers approached the house and knocked on the front door. A witness officer not involved in the officer-involved shooting said the front door opened and he saw a man holding a shotgun at a slight upwards angle and then saw the man level the shotgun. Another witness officer said he saw the armed man point the weapon in the direction of one of the officers.
Officers ordered the man to drop the weapon, but he did not comply. Officers fired at the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives recovered a shotgun near his body during the on-scene investigation Saturday.
Detectives also found a blood smear on the back door of the house. They do not know how or when that blood got there or whose blood it is. They are investigating that.
Information that a shooting happened in the backyard of the house is inconsistent with information and evidence gathered by detectives. If anyone believes they have additional information about this incident, they are encouraged to contact detectives.
Detectives are not commenting further on the evidence gathered at the scene because it is in the process of being analyzed. Results from those tests could take weeks, even months to complete.
The three officers involved in the shooting have not yet been interviewed. They will be interviewed at a later date.
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