Authorities ID eight police officers involved in fatal shooting in Eagle Harbor

By Brian Kelly Kitsap News Group • July 24, 2017 12:30 pm
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King County Sheriff’s Department Guardian One helicopter shines a light on the sailboat Flying Gull after a gunman aboard the vessel began shooting at the shoreline along Eagle Harbor on July 8. (Diane Satterwhite photo)
King County Sheriff’s Department Guardian One helicopter shines a light on the sailboat Flying Gull after a gunman aboard the vessel began shooting at the shoreline along Eagle Harbor on July 8. (Diane Satterwhite photo)

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — The eight police officers who were involved in the fatal shooting of Robert D. Yeiser were identified by their respective police departments July 24.

Yeiser, 34, of Seattle was shot as he stood on the deck of his sailboat, the Flying Gull, after a four-hour standoff in Eagle Harbor on the evening of July 8.

Yeiser reportedly fired nearly 200 rounds at random at the shoreline and homes along the harbor before he was confronted by a police SWAT team in two police boats in the early morning hours of July 9.

Authorities said they had tried for hours to get Yeiser to surrender peacefully and step off his sailboat, but Yeiser was shot numerous times after he reportedly aimed a rifle at officers in the boats pulling up next to his vessel.

Several police officers, including a Bainbridge officer, fired their weapons at Yeiser.

Yeiser died at the scene.

Detectives have not said how many times Yeiser was struck, though the Kitsap County coroner reported earlier that Yeiser died of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen.

While the investigation into the shooting continues, the names of the officers involved in the shooting were announced Monday.

Officer Dale Johnson of the Bainbridge Island Police Department was one of the officers who fired upon the gunman, according to the Bainbridge department.

Johnson has been an officer on Bainbridge for more than 25 years. He is currently on paid administrative leave, but is expected to return to full duty by the end of the month, officials said.

The Bremerton officer involved in the shooting was identified July 24 as Corporal Dahle “Duke” Roessel, an 11-year member of the department and a member of the Kitsap County Regional SWAT team.

Roessel has also been placed on paid leave pending the completion of the shooting investigation, which is being conducted by the Washington State Patrol’s Criminal Investigative Division.

Authorities said six other officers, all with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, were also involved in the shooting and were placed on administrative leave.

Those officers were identified as Deputy Anthony Graham, Deputy Shane Hanson, Deputy Andrew Hren, Deputy Eric Janson, Deputy Greg Rice and Sgt. Wilson Sapp.

According to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, all six were cleared to return to duty July 24.

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