Oak Harbor Officer Involved Shooting Update

Oak Harbor, WA –  On July 11th, 2017, the Skagit Multiple Agency Response Team (S.M.A.R.T) was called to investigate an Officer involved shooting in Oak Harbor, WA.

Nearly 20 S.M.A.R.T Detectives were involved in the investigation, according to a press release from Washington State Patrol Public Information Officer, Trooper Heather Axtman.

Detectives interviewed all responding Law Enforcement personnel and citizen witnesses. They canvassed local businesses and residences in the area and  documented the scene, which included  using an unmanned aerial vehicle (Drone). This included  collecting evidence and using  measuring and diagram equipment to document the scene.

The following is a summary of investigative findings to date:

On Tuesday, July 11th, 2017 around 8:50 a.m., a 21-year old male identified as Nathan Trujillo, contacted a female as she was walking in the 500 block of SE Bayshore Drive in Oak Harbor.  Trujillo followed the female as she walked through the park, yelling at her to come with him to his vehicle. The female walked through the park in an attempt to get away from Trujillo, and sat on a bench.

Trujillo then approached the woman and grabbed onto her, pulling her hair, shaking her and removing her shows and socks.  He continued to tell her she needed to come with him to his vehicle. He also told her she was going to die and that he had her family held hostage and would kill them if she didn’t comply.

Trujillo then produced a pistol and pointed it at the female. The female was later found to have injuries consistent with the barrel of a gun being pressed against her face and neck.  The female told investigators she believed she was going to die, according to Trooper Axtman.

Witnesses described the scene to detectives and said the female was laying in a fetal position on the park bench, with Trujillo standing over her pressing a gun into her neck while he was screaming at her.

Oak Harbor Police Officers arrived and repeatedly gave commands for Trujillo to drop the gun. Trujillo did not drop the gun and pointed it at Officers and then back at the female. An Oak Harbor Officer then shot Trujillo, striking him on the elbow. Trujillo then dropped the gun.

Multiple Officers converged on Trujillo and he continued to struggle with Officers and was tased, prior to being arrested, according to the release.

Officers  initiated medical care immediately after Trujillo was taken into custody and medics who were arriving on scene took over patient care before transporting Trujillo to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with non-life threatening injuries.

Officers observed a gun on the ground near Trujillo after he was taken into custody and a piece of the grip was broken off and located several feet away from the gun. Investigators later determined the gun was a compressed air gun during the course of their investigation.

On Friday, July 14th, 2017, Trujillo was transported from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle to the Island County Jail where he was booked on charges of Kidnapping 1st Degree.

Trujillo has family in the Oak Harbor area, where he stays occasionally but does not have a permanent address there.  Trujillo’s family told investigators that he has a history of mental health issues and drug use.   Oak Harbor Police has had two other recent contacts with Trujillo for trespassing and drug related issues.

Trooper Axtman said, once the S.M.A.R.T investigation is completed, the case will be turned over to the Island County Prosecutor’s Office, for Prosecution, and the Oak Harbor Police Department, for their administrative review.

The press release did not state if Trujillo knew the woman he attacked or not.

 

 

 

Information Provided by Trooper Axtman, Washington State Patrol, Public Information Officer