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Verlot: Deputies kill man armed with gun

June 10th, 2009, incident report by jbtaylor

  • May 29, 2009
  • 1
  • 0
  • Mountain Loop Highway
  • Verlot (vicinity)
  • Washington

Jackson Holtz, Gale Fiege. The Herald. Everett, Wash.: May 30, 2009.

(Copyright 2009 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, Wash.)

VERLOT -- An argument over weed control Friday afternoon apparently led to a violent confrontation with Snohomish County sheriff's deputies that left a Verlot man dead.

The trouble reportedly began when a man in his 40s got angry with a Snohomish County road crew that was spraying for noxious weeds along the Mountain Loop Highway, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said. The man threatened the road crew that he would get a gun, Goetz said.

About 3:45 p.m., the road crew called for sheriff's deputies, he said.

A veteran deputy and a reserve deputy responded to the home about 2 miles west of Verlot. The man approached them armed with a handgun.

"There was a confrontation and the male at the residence was killed," Goetz said.

Multiple shots were fired in the man's yard.

Verlot man shot by deputies is named
Jackson Holtz. The Herald. Everett, Wash.: Jun 03, 2009.

(Copyright 2009 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, Wash.)

VERLOT -- The Snohomish County Medical Examiner on Tuesday identified Daniel L. Wasilchen as the man killed by deputies Friday night.

Wasilchen, 44, died from multiple gunshot wounds to his torso, the medical examiner said. His death was ruled a homicide.

The shooting apparently was linked to a disagreement over removal of noxious weeds on Wasilchen's property.

The county's noxious weed coordinator reportedly was going door-to-door Friday seeking homeowner permission to use an herbicide.

Wasilchen became confrontational and threatened to get a gun, officials said. The weed coordinator called 911.

When Snohomish County deputies responded, Wasilchen had a handgun, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

Shots were fired, and Wasilchen died.

The deputies involved were placed on leave during an investigation. The weed coordinator was asked to stop going door-to-door.

Friends describe Wasilchen as friendly and helpful to neighbors. He worked as a crane operator at Boeing.

Court records show in 1986 he pleaded guilty to third-degree assault after getting into a fight with Everett police.

Friday night's shooting along the Mountain Loop Highway is being investigated by a multi-agency team of homicide detectives who are summoned when police are involved in a death.

The Snohomish County prosecutor's office will review the incident and determine if the use of force was justified.

The man has not been identified. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner is expected to conduct an autopsy.

The shooting is being handled by the Snohomish County Multi-Agency Response Team or SMART, a special group of homicide detectives trained to investigate deaths involving police.

Detectives closed the busy Mountain Loop Highway for about three hours Friday while they collected evidence. They plan to interview the deputy, the reserve deputy, the road crew's members and neighbors, Goetz said.

The investigation likely will take weeks. Snohomish County prosecutors will determine if the killing was justified.

It's unclear who fired and how many shots rang out, Goetz said.

The deputy, a man in his 40s who has 20 years experience, has been placed on paid leave, which is standard procedure.

The reserve deputy, also in his 40s with 25 years experience, will be kept off the road during the investigation.

On Friday, Betty Cook, 87, was just waking from a nap when she heard three shots.

She was upset and couldn't believe that her neighbor was gone.

"He was a really nice neighbor; he helped us out a lot. He was real friendly," she said.

A long line of traffic backed up waiting to drive up the Mountain Loop Highway to enjoy the summerlike weather in the shadow of Mount Pilchuck.

Randy Cowart waited three hours for the traffic to clear. He was bringing food and supplies to construction crews working to rebuild the bridge to the Big Four Ice Caves.

"You would think that a dispute over spring weeds wouldn't lead to a fatality," he said.

The SMART team last was summoned after the Nov. 8 shooting that killed Dustin Willard in Everett. That investigation continues.

It's the same team that responded to Skagit County in September after a man there went on a shooting rampage that killed six people including Skagit County sheriff's deputy Ann Jackson.