The man was hospitalized with injuries officials said were not life-threatening.
YELM, WA — A Thurston County sheriff’s deputy shot and wounded an armed man Thursday morning after responding to a vehicle fire at a flagged property in the Yelm area, sheriff’s officials said.
The shooting has opened an independent review of a fast-moving call that began as a fire response and ended with gunfire. Officials said the property near 149th Lane Southeast had been flagged for safety concerns, meaning firefighters would not go there without law enforcement. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to a hospital with injuries that officials said were not expected to kill him. No deputies, firefighters, police officers or bystanders were reported hurt.
Deputies were called at about 9 a.m. Thursday to help firefighters respond to a vehicle fire, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. When the first deputy arrived, officials said, a man was standing near the burning vehicle and holding a garden hose. Body-worn camera video showed the deputy telling the man to back away from the fire so firefighters could work. “Can you please stand back?” the deputy said during the encounter. Sheriff Derek Sanders later said the man did not appear to believe firefighters were there and became upset while speaking with the deputy.
The encounter escalated after the deputy gave more commands for the man to move away, officials said. The man first charged toward the deputy while yelling, then turned toward the deputy again a little more than a minute later, Sanders said. Officials said the man pointed a gun at the deputy before the deputy fired several shots. The man was struck multiple times. Deputies and Yelm police officers then moved in, recovered a second gun from the man’s body and gave medical aid until he could be taken to a hospital.
Sanders said investigators do not currently believe the man fired at the deputy, but that remains part of the review. The sheriff’s office said body camera video exists and will be reviewed as part of the case. Officials have not released the man’s name, the deputy’s name, the type of guns recovered or the exact number of rounds fired. They also have not said whether criminal charges against the wounded man are being considered. The deputy was placed on standard administrative leave after the shooting, which is routine after a law enforcement use of deadly force.
The property’s history is a central part of the response, according to sheriff’s officials. Sanders described the site as a place tied to drug activity, stolen vehicles, drug trafficking and weapons trafficking. He said the fire department would not respond there alone because of prior safety concerns, including violent criminal activity. The sheriff also said the property has been difficult for law enforcement to address because investigators need legal grounds, warrants and cooperation that are not always available. “There is no quick process,” Sanders said when discussing problem properties under Washington law.
The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations was notified because the shooting involved law enforcement, officials said. That state office declined to take the case, and the Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team is now leading the independent investigation. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said it will not investigate its own deputy’s shooting. Once investigators finish their work, the case is expected to be sent to the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Officials have not announced a date for release of the body camera video or a final report.
The scene drew a large law enforcement and fire response near the rural Yelm-area property, where officials said a vehicle was fully engulfed when crews were called. The shooting added another layer to long-running concerns about sites that neighbors and local officials view as public safety hazards. Sanders said his office can use traffic enforcement around such properties and work to build informants, but broader action can depend on other county processes. He said the sheriff’s office has been trying to form an abatement task force with Thurston County, though funding remains a barrier.
As of Friday, the wounded man remained hospitalized, the deputy remained on leave and the outside investigation was underway. The next major step is review by the Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team, followed by any prosecutorial review after the investigative file is complete.
Author note: Last updated June 5, 2026.