KELSO, Wash. -- A Kelso police officer shot and killed a 27-year-old black man Wednesday morning after the suspect assaulted the officer, a female store clerk and a customer at a gas station.
Police are reviewing surveillance video from the store of the event. The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office said they hope to release the video and police radio communication, perhaps by Friday afternoon.
The officer, 22-year Kelso Police Department veteran John Johnston, responded to a report of a shoplifter at the Flying K Fuel Mart, located at 103 West Main Street in Kelso, Washington, at about 8 a.m. Wednesday.
The suspect had left the scene by the time Johnston arrived. The officer went with one of the clerks to view the surveillance video while the other clerk stayed at the counter.
While Johnston was with the clerk, the suspect returned carrying a wooden staff and began assaulting the clerk and a customer who was inside the store.
Johnston intervened with the suspect, who proceeded to assault the officer with the stick. The officer drew his weapon and shot the man, who died at the scene.
Johnston suffered injuries to his head, arms and legs.
Police say the wooden staff, which was broken in the attack, is about four feet long, one and one-half inches in diameter and weighs about two pounds.
Johnston, the clerk and the customer were taken to a hospital where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released.
Cowlitz County Sheriff Mark Nelson said Johnston, according to normal protocol, has been placed on administrative leave, and is currently recovering from his injuries at his home.
Nelson defended the actions of Johnston in using lethal force.
"People have a right to defend themselves and a need to defend themselves," Nelson said. "When an officer sees someone who he believes their life is possibly in danger or grievous bodily injury, they have a right and the responsibility to respond to that. I'm not going to second guess what the officer did."
Nelson was asked if Johnston could have instead used a taser or a baton. Nelson said he didn't know what the officer was equipped with and then reiterated his defense of Johnston.
"If someone is getting beat on the head with a pole, it's time to respond appropriately to that," Nelson said. "I'm not sure a taser or a baton would be an appropriate response."
Nelson said he doesn't expect a lot of fallout from the community regarding the shooting of a black man by a police officer.
"I don't know that I expect it. This is a pretty peaceful community," Nelson said. "Would I be surprised if there were some people who came to express their thoughts and opinions? No. They're welcome to do that. This is America. They get to do that.
"There isn't anything secretive about this. This is about a process, about doing an investigation into a man's death," Nelson said.
Police continue to try and positively identify the suspect and any family or relatives.
Nelson said the suspect, a transient, has drawn the attention of law enforcement for several incidents over the past week or so, including an arrest of the individual last weekend.
Authorities believe the man is from the eastern Washington area.