More details released on man killed by deputy during Tri-Cities gunpoint carjacking
A Tri-Cities carjacking suspect was trying to force a driver out of a car at gunpoint when a deputy fired at him with his rifle, says a newly released report.
The suspect, Jeffrey G. Reeder, 31, was wounded and later died at a Richland hospital.
The deputy who shot him has worked for the Benton County Sheriff’s Office for nine years and was one of four officers who shot at Ryan Kaufman following his deadly rampage through the Tri-Cities.
The initial details of the officer-involved shooting on June 4 near Columbia Center mall in Kennewick were released Monday by a Regional Special Investigations Unit team.
The media release confirmed initial reports that Reeder was trying to force a driver out of a car at gunpoint when Deputy Elias Perez fired at him.
What’s not clear is what led to the confrontation. Reeder’s previous run-in with the law involved two misdemeanor convictions for assault about 10 years ago and a conviction for driving without a license.
His relatives posted on Facebook that they are devastated by the loss.
A GoFundMe was organized at bit.ly/ReederFuneral to pay for funeral arrangements. Anything additional will go toward helping his young son, said his family.
Stolen cars
Monday’s SIU release does not link Reeder as a suspect in a series of car thefts reported hours before he died.
Richland police Deputy Chief David Neer previously told the Herald that Reeder was believed to be the same man found sleeping inside a stolen Cadillac Escalade early that Sunday..
Police were looking for an Escalade suspected of being involved in a series of car prowls in the area.
Officers tried to block the Escalade from fleeing but the driver woke up and slammed the car into the patrol vehicles and got away.
The SUV was discovered abandoned a short distance away and a 2023 Hyundai Palisade was missing from a nearby garage. It was last seen on Road 68 in Pasco.
According to reports, that Palisade was found abandoned in the Walmart parking lot and another car was stolen. In all, seven cars were reported stolen and linked to the same person.
By 8:15 p.m., Richland police started following a stolen Audi. That chase reportedly reached speeds up to 100 mph into Kennewick.
SIU investigation reported Monday that Reeder was driving west through the Burlington Coat Factory’s parking lot and then drove the wrong way in the northbound lanes of Columbia Center Boulevard, trying to get away from the police.
He tried to speed across the median but hit the curb. The car crossed the southbound lanes and ended up in the grass near the Bank of America at the corner of Columbia Center Boulevard and Quinault Avenue.
Reeder allegedly ran from the car and was trying to rob another driver of their vehicle when Perez arrived and ran toward Reeder.
“Deputy Perez discharged his patrol rifle toward Mr. Reeder, striking him with gunfire,” said the release.
Officers and deputies immediately began life-saving measures and he was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center but later died.
A funeral home death notice said he was born in Kennewick and was a lifelong Tri-Cities resident.
The investigations unit is continuing to investigate the incident and whether the deputy violated any laws in using lethal force.
