SBI investigating officer-involved shooting in Washington
Published 8:05 pm Sunday, October 21, 2018
A traffic stop on Sunday afternoon in Washington left one person dead in an officer-related shooting, according to a press release issued Monday by the Washington Police Department.
According to the release, on Sunday, Oct. 21, at 3:48 p.m., a traffic stop was initiated near the corner of Washington and West 11th streets. The release states that the driver of the vehicle, Cedric Pritchard, of Washington, exited the vehicle armed with a firearm as the officer approached. This resulted in the officer discharging his department-issued firearm, fatally wounding the driver of the vehicle.
The release goes on to say that Washington Police and Fire Director Stacy Drakeford requested the State Bureau of Investigation conduct the primary investigation into the incident. In accordance with the Washington Police Department’s policies and procedures, the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation by the SBI.
“It is with great sadness that we are investigating an officer-involved shooting in our City,” Drakeford said in the release, “Today, a citizen of our community has lost his life, a family is grieving for their family member, and our law enforcement agency is saddened by these events. We ask that the community joins us as our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this tragic incident.”
According to public records, Pritchard was 27 years old.