UPDATE: The Fife police department released more information about an incident in which a Des Moines police officer shot a motorcyclist near a Fife Jack in the Box following a high-speed chase.
According to a statement from the Pierce County Medical Examiner, the shooting victim died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. The victim also sustained a shot to the chest. The Fife Police Department reports that the officer fired at least one shot.
“I am certifying the cause of death as gunshot wound to the head, and the manner as suicide. The gunshot wound to the head produced instantaneous brain death, rendering the gunshot wound to the chest non-contributory,” said Pierce County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Clark in a statement.
Reached by phone, Fife police chief Peter Fisher said his department will also investigate which shot came from the officer.
“Is the gun shot to the chest that of the officer? To say so unequivocally, we’ll get that out,” said Fisher said.
Officers chased the motorcyclist after he fled the scene of an alleged domestic violence dispute, according to a press release. The chase ended when the motorcyclist crashed in the parking lot of a Jack in the Box near 3400 Pacific Highway E.
The Des Moines officer reportedly fired at least one shot and the motorcyclist died at the scene. Police say they recovered a gun on the scene. The Cooperative Agencies Crime Response Unit, which comprises law enforcement agencies in Pierce County, is investigating the shooting.
The involved officer, a 21-year veteran of the department, has been placed on administrative leave, per department policy, the press release states.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that a handgun was recovered from a handbag at the scene. In fact, a gun was recovered at the scene, but police made no mention of a handbag. We regret the error.
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