A man fatally shot by three Kent Police officers stood near the front door of his residence when he fired at the officers, according to the latest investigation update.
Previous reports indicated that Darren A. Butrick, 60, exited the home and stood outside the door on Nov. 4 in the 13000 block of Southeast 204th Place after officers responded to a domestic violence call, according to the Valley Independent Investigative Team.
Detectives also located two spent shell casings lodged in a police vehicle crevice that were not initially counted, according to a Nov. 25 press release from the Valley Independent Investigative Team. That brings the number of shots fired by the officers to 24 in response to the seven shots fired by Butrick. The exchange of gunfire took less than seven seconds.
Butrick died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. He was found dead inside the front door. Butrick lived at the home with his wife and other relatives. No other individuals were hurt and no officers were injured as a result of the shooting.
Officers learned upon arriving at the incident that a man was armed with a rifle inside the home. They took positions outside and were able to get the other occupants from within the residence out safely. A brief standoff ensued and SWAT officers were requested to respond.
While waiting for the SWAT team, Butrick reportedly fired multiple shots at officers. The officers returned fire and Butrick was struck and killed.
The three officers who fired shots include a 38-year-old officer with 10 years of experience, a 31-year-old officer with six years of experience and a 29-year-old officer who has been with the department since 2019. Their names have not been released. They remain on administrative leave as is standard procedure for any officer-involved shooting.
The Valley Independent Investigative Team, a multi-agency team of investigators from seven South King County police departments (Auburn, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Port of Seattle and Tukwila), is conducting the inquiry. The Kent Police Department is excluded from this investigation because they were the involved agency.
The investigative team is in contact with the family of Butrick and will keep them informed of the progress of the investigation.
Additional details regarding this incident will be released weekly to the media by the Valley Independent Investigative Team as the investigation continues. The updates are required by a new state law during police shooting investigations.
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