officers from a federal task force led by the FBI and U.S Marshal Service were conducting surveillance outside an apartment complex in Lacey, Wash., roughly 120 miles north of the Oregon city, when 48-year-old Reinoehl left the building at approximately 7:30 p.m. local time Thursday, officials and law enforcement sources told Fox News.
A Washington-based law enforcement source told Fox News four members had learned that Reinoehl was inside an apartment located within the complex and were waiting for a SWAT team to arrive to arrest Reinoehl when he came out of the house and got into a car. The officers decided to immediately make a traffic stop, the source said.
As they did so, Reinoehl moved a short distance, before stopping and exiting his vehicle, according to the source.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Lt. Ray Brady said the suspect, identified by sources as Reinoehl, said officers initially shot at the vehicle in an attempt to stop him. Federal agents had “attempted to peacefully arrest him," different sources told Fox News.
As Reinoehl fled on foot, he allegedly pulled out a gun, Brady said in a press release. Officers then shot at and struck Reinoehl, who was pronounced dead at the scene.Two witnesses told The Olympian they saw two sports utility vehicles pull up to a man, believed to be Reinoehl, who was inside a car. The man then opened fire using what the witnesses said appeared to be an assault rifle, according to reports.
The witnesses told The Olympian they heard roughly 40 to 50 shots being fired before officers shot back.
Brady later identified Reinoehl's weapon as a handgun. Brady said during a news conference following the shooting that it wasn’t immediately clear how many bullets were fired, according to both reports.
An investigation into the shooting will be conducted by the Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team, which is comprised of multiple local and state law enforcement agencies, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.