Man, 33, grabbed gun before Pasco police detective shot him, investigators say
A 13-year Pasco police veteran wounded a 33-year-old shooting suspect after the man refused to drop a handgun during a traffic stop, police said.
Kennewick detectives have been hunting for Santiago Ayala-Pineda since he allegedly wounded a 38-year-old man during a shooting on the 300 block of North Ely Street on July 19, according to authorities.
He had a warrant for his arrest for first-degree assault issued in Benton County Superior Court.
Pasco police officers learned that Ayala-Pineda was in a car on Road 68 and stopped him about 3 p.m. Thursday as he was pulling onto Interstate 182, Richland police Capt. Brigit Clary said in a statement Friday afternoon.
They spotted Ayala-Pineda hiding inside the car and ordered him out.
Instead, he grabbed a handgun and refused to drop it, Clary said. Detective Andy Corral shot and wounded Ayala-Pineda.
Officers and Pasco firefighters gave him medical aid and he was taken to a local hospital. His condition was not released on Friday.
Corral has worked with the Pasco police for 13 years and is a K9 police dog handler for the Street Crimes Unit. He will be on paid administrative leave pending the investigation as part of the Pasco Police Department policy.
Police had the overpass for Interstate 182 blocked until after midnight Thursday as they investigated the shooting.
The regional Special Investigations Unit is handing the investigation, police said. The unit includes detectives from across Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties, and is in charge of any officer-involved shootings.
Pasco police are not part of the investigation.
Under new state rules, Pasco Chief Ken Roske assigned two non-law enforcement community members to serve as part of the SIU team.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact Richland Sgt. Drew Florence at 509-942-7654 or dflorence@ci.richland.wa.us or Kennewick Sgt. Ryan Kelly at 509-528-3434 or ryan.kelly@ci.kennewick.wa.us.
This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 3:45 PM.