Friday shooting stemmed from narcotics investigation

MOSES LAKE - The officer-involved shooting of a man in Moses Lake stemmed from a narcotics investigation.

It started Friday when Moses Lake officers came across the man on West Broadway Avenue who they believe posed a threat.

Four officers were present at the scene and one officer fired a weapon, injuring the suspect, according to Moses Lake police Capt. Dave Sands on Monday. The man was initially brought to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake and later transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The suspect remained in critical condition at Harborview Monday. His name will not be released until his family has notified other relatives.

Officers later recovered 5.7 pounds of methamphetamine at a nearby home, according to Sands.

The shooting investigation will be done by the Central Basin Investigative Team, which is a multi-agency investigative team with detectives from the Grant County Sheriff's Office, Adams County Sheriff's Office, Washington State Patrol, Ephrata Police Department, Othello Police Department, Quincy Police Department and the Moses Lake Police Department.

According to Sands, no detectives from the Moses Lake Police Department will be a part of the investigation because the responding agency was the Moses Lake Police Department.

The CBIT was formed in 2009 and investigates officer-involved shootings, major accidents, major uses of force and assists in homicide investigations.

"It is the intent of the Moses Lake Police Department and the Central Basin Investigation Team, to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation," Sands said. "As part of this transparency, we want to ensure the information given to the media/public is absolutely accurate to avoid any confusion. We ask for the media/public's patience to allow the investigation team time to investigate and validate information to ensure accuracy."

Editor's note: The article was corrected Sept. 10 to read four officers were present at the scene and one officer fired a weapon injuring the suspect. The Herald incorrectly reported four officers fired their weapons.