Police shot and killed a Bainbridge Island man who was shooting at the shoreline from a boat in Eagle Harbor early Sunday morning.
Bainbridge officials said 911 calls about a person shooting from a boat in Eagle Harbor started coming in to emergency dispatchers shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
The man reportedly began firing at officers responding to the scene after they arrived. He also fired random shots at the shoreline.
Officials said the man was shot after members of the Kitsap County Regional SWAT team used boats belonging to the Kitsap County Sheriff and the Bainbridge Island Police Department to get close to the man’s vessel.
Authorities said the man pointed his weapon at officers and was then shot by police.
He later died from his injuries.
The man was not immediately identified by police.
No one else was hurt in the standoff, which ended just after 1 a.m. Sunday.
The shooting prompted a massive police response to Eagle Harbor, just south of downtown Winslow.
In addition to Bainbridge police, other agencies responding to the scene included theKitsap County Regional SWAT Team, King County Sheriff Department Guardian One helicopter, the Washington State Patrol, Poulsbo Police Department, the Kitsap County Sheriff Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Port Orchard Police Department, Bainbridge Island Fire Department, the Coast Guard, and the Bremerton Police Department.
No one was evacuated from the shoreline area during the standoff, but residents who live along Eagle Harbor were warned to “shelter in place” and avoid standing near windows as the incident came to a close in the early morning hours Sunday.
“All the officers involved in the situation acted with the utmost professionalism and took every step to handle the situation in the most judicious manner,” Bainbridge Chief Matthew Hamner said in a statement.
“I cannot fully express my gratitude to all of the officers involved and our regional law enforcement partners that responded to the situation,” Hamner said.
The shooting of the boater is being investigated by the Washington State Patrol Criminal Investigative Division.
Detectives are looking for any additional witnesses to the incident, especially those who may have taken photographs or videos. Anyone with information can contact Detective Sergeant Mark Wilson at 360-473-0141 or email at mark.wilson@wsp.wa.gov.