Man shot by deputy in Burien was carrying pen, not knife

BURIEN, Wash. – A man who was fatally shot by a King County Sheriff’s deputy in Burien around midnight June 13 was carrying a pen and not a knife as initially reported, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office originally said 20-year-old Tommy Le had what was believed to be a knife when he advanced on Deputy Cesar Molina and another deputy, the Seattle Times reported.

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Sgt. Cindi West said this week that Le was actually holding a pen. She said the sheriff’s office didn’t send out a second news release clarifying the initial account because she was on vacation and there had been no further inquiries when she returned.

Deputies were called to the 13600 block of Third Avenue South for reports of gunshots when a homeowner fired his handgun at the ground to scare Le, West said.

The homeowner told the sheriff’s office he went outside after a friend told him someone was chasing him with a knife and yelling.

West said after the homeowner fired the shot, Le approached the man who fled into his home. Le then pounded on the door and stabbed it while screaming he was “the Creator,” West said.

When deputies arrived and went to talk with Le, the sheriff’s office says Le refused to drop the object and advanced on the deputies.

Both deputies fired their Tasers, with one deputy hitting Le. But that didn’t stop Le, who was refusing deputies’ commands, West said.

Deputy Cesar Molina shot Le three times, she said. One deputy performed first aid and called medics. Le was taken to Harborview Medical Center hospital and later died.

Little is known about Le, except that he lived nearby and had no criminal history, said West.

Toxicology reports are pending from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Molina, who has worked with the sheriff’s office for over two years and had taken crisis-intervention training, is on administrative leave while a criminal investigation and an administrative review continue.