205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 08/01/2019 - Kittitas County Prosecuting Attorney Greg Zempel declined charging Deputy Jason Goeman for his actions the night of March 19, 2019 when Del Toro murdered Deputy Ryan Thompson and wounded Officer Benito Chavez.
Following a vehicle pursuit, which ended in a trailer park, Deputy Thompson moved to take the driver of the vehicle into custody. The driver, later identified as Juan Manuel Flores Del Toro, immediately exited his vehicle and shot Deputy Thompson and Officer Benito Chavez. As this was occurring, Deputy Goeman returned fire, stopping Del Toro. Sheriff Gene Dana has stood firmly behind his Deputies stating, " Through the pain and anguish of loosing Ryan and the injury to Benito, I Commend Deputy Jason Goeman for his courageous and instant response. His actions prevented any further threat or harm to the community. I am proud of all three of them". "I would again like to take this opportunity to express my sincere condolences to Ryan's family and to thank the first responders and the community for all of their support" Asked about any further investigation, Undersheriff Myers reported that, "In accordance with the Sheriff's Policy, an internal investigation was conducted into Both Deputies actions with respect to the pursuit and use of force. The findings of that inquiry are that the deputies acted in accordance with our policy. May there be no criticism of these three men, as they did their duty in accordance with their Oath and in the manner they were asked".
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Clay Myers, Undersheriffclay.myers@co.Kittitas.wa.us509-925-8534