Photos: Andrew Goff.

UPDATE:

PREVIOUSLY:

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David Alan Fulton.

At a press conference this morning, Sheriff Mike Downey told reporters that yesterday’s standoff in McKinleyville began early in the morning, when the car of the deceased suspect — David Alan Fulton — was towed from the Sutter Road apartment complex where he lived.

This prompted a confrontation with the manager of the apartment complex, which ended with shots being fired. When Sheriff’s deputies responded, Fulton fired shots at them, too, Downey said. One patrol car was hit three times by Fulton’s bullets, and Fulton fled back into his apartment.

The Sheriff’s Office and allied agencies massed resources at the site, and the long standoff began. Law enforcement brought negotiators to the scene, and for a while they had what Downey characterized as “positive” communication with the suspect. It looked as though things would end peaceably.

The dialog crumbled, Downey said, at around 7 p.m. The only activity visible inside was an occasional flutter of the drapes. Fulton called 911 around then, according to Downey, and told dispatchers that he was not going to come out of the apartment.

At some point it was determined that Fulton’s “significant other” — a woman — was in the apartment with him.

At around 1 a.m., there was a changing of the guard among law enforcement at the scene. The new commanders continued to ask Fulton to come out via a PA system they had set up.

At about 1:10 a.m., officers heard gunfire from the apartment, and the woman was heard to yell that they were not coming out. About five minutes later, officers breached a window and inserted activated a flash bang device. Shots were then fired at officers from a window in the apartment.

(UPDATE: Undersheriff William Honsal followed up with the Outpost hoping to clarify the series of events. According to Honsal, the flash bang was not inserted into the apartment. A “bang pole” was used to break out the second story window and the device was activated outside.) 

The incident commanders had gas shut off to the apartment, but around that time smoke began to emanate from the building. Fulton moved out onto a landing and began firing at officers from there. They returned fire, and he dropped to the ground.

At about 2 a.m., officers entered the apartment, placed Fulton in handcuffs and brought him outside. At 2:05 p.m. he was pronounced dead.

Downey said that an autopsy will be performed. They are reasonably certain that Fulton died of wounds received in his exchange of fire with police, but there was also some “singeing” around his face. The investigation will take some time to complete, Downey said.

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  • 1:01 a.m.: Power restored to apartment.
  • 1:05 a.m.: Shots fired inside apartment.
  • 1:10 a.m.: Female shouted “not coming out.”
  • 1:15 a.m.: Decision to port window; flash bang deployed.
  • 1:20 a.m.: More shots fired; phone contact attempted; female exits.
  • 1:23 a.m.: More shots fired, exchange of fire with police.
  • 1:25 a.m.: Some kind of movement in bathroom.
  • 1:30 a.m.: Gas shut off due to concern of gas in the unit.
  • 1:40 a.m.: Moved team forward to introduce chemical agents (chemical agents not used).
  • 1:53 a.m.: Black smoke and flame seen.
  • 1:56 a.m.: Shots fired from the landing toward officers; officers return fire. Fire personnel moved to back of residence to try and suppress fire
  • 2:05 a.m. Team moves in, handcuffs subject, brings him outside. He is pronounced deceased.