This news story was updated at 9:55 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reports this morning that the prosecutor’s review of Deputy Matt McKnight’s fatal shooting of a Napavine man last week concluded McKnight was justified.
The 27-year-old Lewis County sheriff’s deputy remained on paid administrative leave as of this morning, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.
Brown said an internal investigation is being conducted separately.
Deputies were assisting the Napavine Police Department with a call to a burglary in progress, around 2 a.m. on June 20, in which a man reportedly was stabbing the door of a home and trying to get in.
McKnight confronted the suspect several blocks away and the sheriff’s office says he refused to take his hands out of his pockets and then charged McKnight.
Thirty-three-year-old Steven V. Petersen, of Napavine died at the scene of a gunshot wound to the head.
A regional shooting response team, made up of law enforcement officers from the counties of Thurston, Mason, Pacific, and Grays Harbor conducted the investigation and turned their results over to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, according to the sheriff’s office.
In a news release this morning, Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield says prosecutors concluded the deputy’s use of deadly force was justified.
McKnight fired four shots, three of which struck Petersen, according to Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer. Petersen was not found to be armed with a knife, he said.
Meyer said the deputy was left with no choice. Petersen was intending to do him harm, and McKnight was in fear for his life, he said.
The sheriff’s office internal investigation will include a “shooting review board”, as well as a review of policy, procedures and training, according to Sheriff Mansfield.
More to come
•••
Read “Breaking news: Deputy shoots, kills burglary suspect in Napavine” from Monday June 20, 2011, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
all I have to say is that a friend of my moms’ witnessed the incident.She said the guy was coming at the deputy..the deputy had told him REPEATEDLY to show his hands..but he wouldnt comply.He came at the deputy from what I heard and so there was no choice in the matter.
the deputy was TOTALLY Justified.
Only in Lewis County would someone say this was MURDER. That is just too funny, and to compare it to the trial of the other man that shot the person stealing from his property is just pain stupid. This is a police officer we are talking about he is trained to do what he did. I bet you anything this police officer will NEVER get over this ordeal, his life will be for ever changed from taking a human life. I believe that a police officers main priorities is to make the county a safe place to live, and to be able to go home to his family at night. This guy that got shot was either really dumb or really wanted to die! And now officer McKnight has to live with this for the rest of his life. I am 100% behind the justification of this shooting.
This shooting is indeed justifiable, because the cop told the guy to stop, to remove his hands from his pockets, to get down on the ground, etc… and the guy STILL charged the cop in a threatening manner. “Suicide by cop”? Most likely… but still, justifiable.
If the guy was running AWAY from the cop, then I could see there being reason to investigate further… but that wasn’t the case.
He should be thrown in jail , Is’nt it funny that a guy shoots someone for stealing his belongings and goes to jail for manslaughter. A cop shoots someone its justified gets paid and doesn’t have a trial. Didn’t he shoot him four times, That’s a little more then self defense. THIS MAKES ME FEEL VERY SAFE.
HES A MURDERER AND SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE ONE. USE OF NON_LETHAL weapons such as tasers must and should have been instituted. failure to do so resulted in a death which equals murder by negligence and lapse of judgement.
My first thought was, and still is ,that this was a case of Suicide by Deputy ! Very sad to say the least. Blessings of comfort to all folks and Families involved.