OLYMPIA — Three Port Angeles Police Department officers who were involved in a fatal shooting last week have been identified by the state Office of Independent Investigations.
They are Sgt. David Arand, a patrol sergeant with 22 years of experience with PAPD, Officer Whitney Fairbanks, a patrol officer and K9 program coordinator who has worked for PAPD for 10 years, and Officer Harold Balderson, the department’s downtown resource officer who has worked for PAPD for 10 years, the Office of Independent Investigations (OII) said in a news release Wednesday.
All three were previously placed on administrative leave, which is standard practice in an officer-involved shooting, Port Angeles Deputy Police Chief Jason Viada said.
The Port Angeles man who exchanged gunfire with the officers has been identified as Matthew Tyler Charles, 39. He was shot about 1:20 p.m. Nov. 17 and transported to Olympic Medical Center, where he later died.
Charles was wanted on a federal U.S. Marshal’s warrant for assault and was shot in the vicinity of West Ninth and South E streets following a foot pursuit and after he displayed and pointed a gun, according to a joint news release from PAPD and the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began Nov. 16 when sheriff’s deputies were contacted with community safety concerns regarding Charles’ behavior. The reporting party told deputies Charles had a criminal history, had relapsed into drug use and was in possession of a handgun, according to PAPD and the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies then learned about the arrest warrant and an investigation showed Charles was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Information also showed he was a violent crime suspect, and that prompted deputies to request assistance from the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (ONPET) to locate Charles.
About 1 p.m. Nov. 17, OPNET detectives found Charles walking on 10th Street between F and G streets on the west side of Port Angeles. When uniformed PAPD officers tried to make contact, Charles attempted to evade them, deputies said.
Ultimately, Charles fled on foot and fired at the officers, who returned fire, according to PAPD and the Sheriff’s Office.
The PAPD incident commander notified OII, which arrived about 4 p.m. and assumed jurisdiction, according to a news release.
Once OII completes its investigation, it will release a final case report to the public and the case will be forwarded to the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s office for review of possible charges.
By state statute, OII is directed to complete its investigations within 120 days or report the reason for the delay to the OII Advisory Board. OII typically provides an update during an investigation, usually at the 60-day point.
