Intruder shot to death – Man had
broken into ex-girlfriend’s house

2000-08-13
by Sean Gillespie
Journal Reporter

KENT — A man with a history of domestic
violence was shot to death after he broke into
his ex-girlfriend’s home early yesterday.

Kent police say the woman’s male companion
shot the 37-year-old Kent man after he woke the
pair and threatened them with a large butcher
knife about 3:15 a.m. The ex-boyfriend broke
into the home in the 27300 block of 145th Court
Southeast, said Detective Sgt. Mark Gustafson
of the Kent Police Department.

A 23-year-old Kent man shot the intruder
multiple times with a semi-automatic handgun,
which appeared to be legally owned, and then
called 911, Gustafson said. The intruder died at
the scene. His identity was not released last
night pending notification of next of kin.

Neither the shooter nor the woman was injured.
Police did not release their names last night.

In the last month, there were four documented
police reports of domestic disputes at the home
where the shooting occurred. Gustafson said
the intruder was kicked out of the home a few
weeks ago, and the woman had a restraining
order in place against him since then.

“Evidence suggests — because of the history of
domestic violence, the ongoing harassment –
this guy was in a position to harm her and her
companion,” said Gustafson, who stopped short
of saying the shooting was justified. “We
haven’t evaluated all the evidence yet.”

He said “all parties have been very cooperative,
interviewed, and released.”

The shooter does not have a criminal history,
Gustafson said. He apparently had the gun for
self-defense.

“There was some concern about ongoing
threatening behavior and victim safety issues,”
the investigator said.

Nearby residents said the woman recently
moved to the neighborhood, but they were
otherwise tight-lipped, declining to comment for
privacy reasons.

Sean Gillespie can be reached at
[email protected] or
253-872-6688.