In the quiet town of Kittitas, Washington, a sequence of events unfolded on the evening of March 19, 2019, that would end in tragedy. Ryan Thompson, a 42-year-old White male and a respected Kittitas County Sheriff's Deputy, was killed in the line of duty. The incident began with a report of a road rage incident involving an erratic driver. Deputy Thompson located the suspect's vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
The driver, however, refused to comply and instead led Deputy
Thompson on a pursuit. A Kittitas police officer, Benito Chavez, joined the chase to assist. The pursuit ended when the suspect stopped his vehicle, exited, and opened fire on the two officers. Both Deputy Thompson and Officer Chavez were struck by gunfire. The officers returned fire, and the suspect was wounded during the exchange.
Deputy Thompson was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Officer Chavez was also wounded but survived. The suspect, later identified as 29-year-old Juan Manuel Flores Del Toro, also died from the injuries he sustained in the shootout. Following the incident, it was reported that Flores Del Toro was a citizen of Mexico and was in the United States unlawfully. The investigation into the shooting was handled by the Ellensburg Police Department. No arrests were made as the sole suspect was deceased at the scene.
