MONROE — The man fatally shot after being confronted by a Snohomish County deputy sheriff earlier this week has been identified.
Millard James Tallant III, 62, is the person who died early Tuesday morning, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office said.
There was no word on whether the fatal shot was fired by the deputy or whether it was self-inflicted.
“The cause of death and manner of death are pending investigation,” the medical examiner’s office said in a press release Thursday evening.
A handgun was found at the scene.
The shooting occurred in the 17500 block of Tester Road near Tallant’s home.
Court papers show that Tallant’s 18-year marriage was ending. The couple separated in December and moved into separate homes. Divorce papers were filed May 6.
Before the shooting, someone along Tester Road called 911 to report that a man had come to the door and appeared upset. The caller then heard a pop, according to dispatch records.
The deputy told dispatchers that he’d found the man walking south from the house. He then called out, “Shots fired. Shots fired.”
“I have one down, he’s not moving,” the deputy said over the radio. The man fired his gun during the confrontation, the deputy told dispatchers.
He “popped off one shot after I shot,” the deputy reported.
In keeping with county policy, the case was assigned to the Snohomish County Multi-Agency Response Team, also known as SMART. It is a team of detectives from various local law enforcement agencies who investigate police use-of-force incidents.
The deputy arrived on the scene at 12:31 a.m. and called for backup. Four minutes later, he reported that shots had been fired.
The deputy, 31, who started with the sheriff’s office in 2007, has been placed on administrative leave, a standard practice when an officer is involved in a shooting.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
