John H. Dowies, a 44-year-old Caucasian male, served as a Patrolman with the Tenino Police Department in Washington. A United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War, he had been with the department for six years and had previously served with the Yelm Police Department. He was a husband and a father to four children.
On the night of January 18, 1978, Dowies was assisting another law enforcement agency in locating a man wanted in connection with an earlier disturbance. Knowing the suspect, Dowies went to the man's home at 210 Avenue in Tenino at approximately 11:30 p.m. to talk with him. During the encounter, a struggle broke out between Dowies and the suspect.
In the course of the altercation, the 20-year-old suspect, who was also reported to be a Navy deserter, managed to gain control of Dowies' service weapon. The suspect then shot Dowies, inflicting a mortal wound. The suspect was quickly apprehended following the shooting. On August 1, 1978, the suspect was convicted of second-degree murder and also received an additional five-year sentence for stealing Dowies' wallet. He was sentenced to life in prison, with his first parole hearing scheduled for 2028.
