A Washington State University Police Officer acted lawfully during an incident on March 27th involving a student who threatened to harm himself. Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy concluded his review of the Washington State Patrol’s investigation into the officer-involved shooting.

On that morning, student John Bazan called 911 to report a man in his dorm with a knife. He confronted the responding officers while failing to comply with their orders and appeared to charge at them while mimicking a weapon. Officers attempted to use a taser on Bazan multiple times, but it was ineffective. The situation escalated, leading Officer Dillon Tiedeman-Mueller to fire a shot that missed Bazan. A subsequent taser deployment was successful, resulting in Bazan’s arrest. Investigators later determined that Bazan was experiencing significant mental and emotional distress and had left a suicide note.

Prosecutor Tracy noted that the officers acted in a professional manner and found the shooting justified, stating that Officer Tiedeman-Mueller had no reasonable alternative at the time. As a result, no charges will be filed against the officer, as his actions were deemed necessary and conducted in good faith. Tracy also praised the response of WSU Police Sgt. Mike Petlovany, who assisted during the incident.

No criminal charges were pursued against Bazan in order to allow him to seek mental health treatment.