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Police in Washington responding to a 911 call about a fugitive ended up accidentally shooting the caller—not the suspect.
USA Today reports that police in Vancouver, Wash. received a call from a man on Oct. 31 saying that he had seen the fugitive, John Kendall. However, when they arrived at the scene, they opened fire at the man they assumed was Kendall because he matched the description and made what they called suspicious movements. What they didn't know was that it was the man who had called 911.
In a statement, Vancouver Police Department explained their actions:
Fearing that he armed himself, law enforcement fired multiple shots at the individual in order to stop the perceived threat before the citizen could enter the woods.
According to USA Today, the man (who requested anonymity) sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. The man, who happened to be armed, returned fire out of fear and called 911 once again to report that he had been shot. This is how police eventually learned that they had shot the wrong man.
Police rushed over to the man and rushed him to the hospital for medical attention. Meanwhile, the 59-year-old Kendall's body was discovered in the area shortly after, the victim of what police determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
[via USA Today]
