LAKEWOOD, Wash. — The Lakewood resident who was pinned between a car and his home following a police pursuit Wednesday night has died from his injuries, according to the Lakewood Police Department.
The 43-year-old man was given lifesaving medical aid and taken to the hospital by West Pierce Fire and Rescue with critical injuries. Lakewood police said Thursday he died after "surgical efforts" to save his life.
According to the Lakewood Police Department, the incident started around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday when a Lakewood K9 unit was called to assist Milton police with a road rage and aggravated assault with a firearm call.
The K9 unit located the suspect vehicle and began following the black SUV while waiting for backup. Lakewood police said the SUV then fled into a residential neighborhood near State Route 512 and South Tacoma Way.
As the Lakewood officer followed, police said the suspect, identified as a 38-year-old man, stopped the vehicle and backed up his SUV “at a high rate of speed,” hitting the K9 unit’s vehicle twice. The Lakewood officer put their vehicle in reverse to try and avoid another collision and hit an unoccupied parked car in the neighborhood.
Police said a 43-year-old man who lived in the neighborhood heard the commotion on the street and went outside armed with a shotgun. While the resident was in his driveway, the suspect sped towards the 43-year-old while attempting to flee after hitting the officer’s SUV.
The resident fired at the suspect’s SUV with the shotgun, possibly hitting the vehicle’s grill. The suspect then hit an unoccupied car in the resident’s driveway. The car was pushed into the man’s home, pinning him between the car and his house.
Police said the home and the vehicle “sustained major damage.”
The 38-year-old suspect, identified as Jamshid Aflatooni, was detained at the scene. Lakewood police said the suspect was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Responding officers observed a firearm in the passenger compartment of the suspect’s SUV. The vehicle was impounded while police wait for a search warrant.
After being released from the hospital, Lakewood police said Aflatooni was booked into the Pierce County Jail on “multiple felony charges” related to the incidents in Milton and Lakewood.
Aflatooni was charged Friday with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, three counts of second-degree assault, and attempting to elude. He pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $1 million.
The Lakewood K9 officer and his partner were not injured in the crashes.