Police were called by Matthew Wells' mother, who told officers her son was holding a butcher knife to his neck inside her home and was cutting his wrists, police said. When officers arrived, they ordered Wells to come out of the room. When he opened the bedroom door, he was armed with a knife. Police said he charged down the hallway at officers, and he was shot and killed.
Victim's Name: Matthew Wells
Agency Responsible: Pierce County Sheriff's Office
Gender: Male
Age: 40
Race: White
Date of Death: September 21, 2017
County: Pierce
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Official Disposition: Pending investigation/No Known Charges
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: Yes
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: knife
Threat Level: other
Fleeing: Not fleeing
Washington Post Database ID: 2972
Geography: Suburban