Sandy MaloneMount Vernon, WA – Detectives are investigating what happened when a police officer tased a fleeing shoplifter on Wednesday evening, causing the man to fall into the street and be run over by a passing vehicle.
The incident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on March 20 when police responded to a call about a shoplifter at the Walmart on Freeway Drives, KOMO reported.
A witness gave police a description of the shoplifter, who was last seen running away across the street near the Burgermaster restaurant.
He described the man’s clothing and said he was carrying a plastic bag, the Seattle Times reported.
Only a short distance from the restaurant, an officer who was arriving at the scene spotted a man nearby who matched the description of the suspect, according to KOMO.
When the alleged shoplifter saw police approaching him, he fled across Freeway Drive, and the officer deployed his Taser to stop him.
The shock from the Taser caused the man to fall to the ground in the middle of the street, where he was promptly run over by a passing, southbound vehicle, KOMO reported.
He died at the scene.
The Mount Vernon Police Department has asked the Skagit Multi Agency Response Team to investigate the incident.
Police have not yet released the name of the officer who tased the alleged shoplifter, nor have the released any information about the man who was run over on Freeway Drive.