On the night of March 21, 2014, in University Place, Washington, 25-year-old Brian McLeod, a White male and former Army soldier, was shot and killed after a disturbance at a townhome. A neighbor had called 911 about a violent fight around 11:30 p.m. When a Pierce County deputy and a Fircrest officer knocked on the door they encountered a blood-covered man who said he had been stabbed and that someone inside had a gun. Officers heard a shotgun being racked, then McLeod appeared at the doorway armed with a long-barreled shotgun.

Deputy J. Sousley ordered McLeod to drop the weapon; according to law enforcement accounts McLeod raised the shotgun toward the officers and the injured man and Deputy Sousley fired multiple shots, striking McLeod twice in the abdomen. McLeod was pronounced dead at the scene; investigators found extensive blood and evidence of a major struggle inside. The County Medical Examiner listed cause of death as gunshot wounds to the abdomen and noted alcohol and marijuana in McLeod’s system.

The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the case and concluded the shooting was a justifiable homicide under state law; no arrests were made. McLeod’s family questioned the necessity of lethal force and requested an inquest, which was denied. Does anyone have information about McLeod’s movements that night or who else was present during the fight?