Sheriff's Office says Friday Night Shooting in North Bend was Self Defense

A 30 year old North Bend man was shot and killed just before midnight Friday night after he broke into a couple's home. According to an article this morning in the Seattle Times, this was not the first time the man, now identified as Joshua Shane Henderson, had broken into someone's home after drinking. He was sentenced to six months in jail for a previous incident in Benton County, the Times said. 

The most recent incident started just after 11:30 Friday night, March 30 in the 300 block of SE 5th St in North Bend. A woman called 911 and said that an unknown male was pounding on her door and windows yelling to be let in. Deputies arrived and did not locate the suspect but heard a large crash and then banging from a nearby house.

The police dispatcher told the deputies that she just received another 911 call from a nearby house in the 400 block of SE Orchard Dr.

A couple had been sleeping when they woke up to the sound of glass breaking. The suspect had broken the rear sliding glass door, entered the house and then started "trashing the house." The couple, a 46-year-old man and his girlfriend, hid in a bedroom as they talked to the 911 operator.

The couple told police that they could hear the suspect ransack the house. The suspect was yelling, "where are you? I'm going to kill you!" The man living at the home retrieved a handgun from his nightstand and yelled numerous times , "I have a pistol. Get out of my house!" The couple locked themselves in a bedroom as they continued to hear the suspect ransack the house and yell that he was coming after them. 

The suspect then kicked the door down to the bedroom and the man fired at the suspect to defend himself and his girlfriend. When deputies arrived they found the suspect dead on the floor just outside of the bedroom.

The suspect was not known to the couple living at the home or to the woman at the home on SE 5th Ave.

Detectives from the King County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that the suspect was reportedly out drinking with friends and family and became increasingly aggressive as the night wore on.

An individual who was with the group said they went to a restaurant and comedy club in the Kirkland area. 

As the night wore on the suspect became more and more aggressive and reportedly was talked to by an employee of the comedy club because of his behavior. The group left the club and stopped at an unknown bar in Issaquah for more drinks before heading home.

As the group was driving home the suspect became “so out of control,” he was asked to get out of the car. The suspect was dropped off near I-90 and Bendigo Blvd and started walking. It is believed that the suspect walked to a convenience store where it was reported by a clerk that a male subject was verbally aggressive with customers. Deputies responded to the store but the subject was not located. Later a 911 call was received from a resident in the 300 block of 5th Ave that a male was beating on doors and windows trying to get in.

Police believe the suspect left the house on 5th Ave and broke into the home in the 400 block of SE Orchard Dr where he was shot and killed by the resident. The resident used a handgun in the shooting. The suspect was not armed, however, the resident had no way of knowing that as the suspect made threats while in the house. 

Fifteen law enforcement officers from the King County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call, including five patrol deputies, a patrol sergeant, a K-9 Unit and seven people from the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, including a Captain, Sergeant and five detectives. The Sheriff’s Office also had a Chaplain respond to assist the victims with the emotional aspects of the situation.

North Bend Police Chief Mark Toner said, “ this is an unusual situation for our city. This was a random event that could not have been predicted. We have not had a homicide here since 2004.”

King County Sheriff's Sergeant Cindi West called this a clear case of self defense.

"The resident showed quite a bit of restraint. He continued to yell at the suspect to leave the house and said he was armed. The couple even locked themselves in a room to try to avoid a confrontation. They had no way of knowing if the suspect was armed. The resident was clearly forced to shoot to defend himself and his girfriend."

The Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy and toxicology test to determine if the suspect had alcohol or drugs in his system. The Sheriff's office told the Times that in addition to drinking, friend reported that Henderson may have been using cocaine Friday night.

--Information from the King County Sheriff's Office & The Seattle Times