Man that shot and killed Kittitas deputy was in U.S. illegally

Kelsie Morgan by Kelsie Morgan

Facebook Juan Manuel Flores Del Toro shot and killed a Kittitas Co. deputy/

The man that shot and killed a Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office deputy was in the United States illegally, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement.

Juan Manuel Flores Del Toro, 29, entered the U.S. on April 11, 2014 through a port of entry in Laredo, Texas on a Temporary Agricultural Worker (H-2A) visa. ICE has no record of Flores Del Toro leaving the U.S., nor extending his visa after it expired.

Authorities were called to a driving complaint at 7:42 p.m. on Tuesday night. They tried to pull over the suspect vehicle, but the driver, later identified as Flores Del Toro, kept going.

The chase continued until the vehicle came to a dead end. Authorities said Flores Del Toro then got out of the vehicle and started shooting at authorities. Following the shootout, Flores Del Toro was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Deputy Ryan Thompson, 42, was killed in the shootout. A Kittitas Police officer, 22-year-old Benito Kellen Chavez, was injured.

Deputy Thompson was born in Walla Walla, graduated from Central Washington University and had been working in Kittitas County law enforcement for 14 years. The deputy leaves behind a wife and three children.

“He had a great personality, well liked, highly motivated, had a great future in law enforcement,” Kittitas County Sheriff Gene Dana said.

Dana said Deputy Thompson’s loss will have a large impact on the entire community.

According to KPD, Chavez was shot in the leg and his femur was shattered. Officer Chavez started as a reserve deputy in the summer of 2018 and was hired on as a full time officer in July. His wife is currently expecting their first child. .

The Kittitas County Sheriff’s office has requested the Ellensburg Police Department conduct the investigation into the shooting.

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