Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
Names of involved officers still being withheld
HATTON – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a Warden man was killed in a shootout with law enforcement officers Sunday, June 25.
Ramon O. Morfin, 29, of Warden, was pronounced dead at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of state Highway 26 and Kulm Road, just outside Hatton, a small community west of U.S. Highway 395. Morfin’s identity was confirmed Tuesday morning, June 27, by Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman.
The names of the officers involved in the shooting have yet to be released publicly. But according to a report on the fatal shooting, three Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputies and an Othello police officer were involved.
The Columbia Basin Investigative Team is conducting an independent investigation of the officer-involved shooting and lethal use of force.
Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner confirmed Monday, June 26, that at least one deputy has been placed on administrative leave, as is standard operating procedure in an officer-involved shooting.
Morfin was wanted on an outstanding state Department of Corrections warrant at the time he was shot and killed, records show.
On June 25, an Othello police officer and three Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputies went to his place of employment in the 700 block of South Kulm Road to try to take him into custody, records show. When law enforcement arrived at 2:20 p.m. Morfin was outside.
Deputies tried to arrest him, but he pulled out a gun and fired at them, records show. The officers returned fire and Morfin was hit; medics declared Morfin dead at 2:30 p.m. His next of kin was notified of his death Sunday night.
None of the law enforcement officers was shot, records show.
Investigators have yet to say how many times Morfin had been struck by bullets.
Records show the officers were equipped with body cameras.
Video footage from body and any other cameras will be reviewed by investigators before being released publicly.
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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