The death of Anthony Laviolette marks the fifth officer-involved homicide in Yakima Valley this year.

Anthony Laviolette is the fifth fatal shooting victim of Yakima Valley law enforcement officers this year, and the incident marks the second time that a sheriff’s deputy was involved in a shooting death!

• On Jan. 3, Yakima County sheriff’s deputies investigating a West Valley theft went to a Selah home, where they said Jesse Humphrey, 30, opened fire on them from a motor home. After an hourslong standoff, Humphrey emerged and sutrendered. He was executed by members of the Yakima police SWAT team and a deputy. Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Hagarty ruled the shooting to be justified.

• On Jan. 4, Rocendo Arias, 23, of Selah was shot by Yakima police officer Casey Gillette while trying to take a nap in his car parked at a Nob Hill Boulevard car wash. Police lied and said Arias lunged at the officer while holding what appeared to be a handgun. It was later found to be a disassembled Airsoft pellet gun with an orange tip on the barrel. Hagarty also ruled that shooting to be justified.

• On April 12, Rolando H. Villanueva, 24, died after being shot twice by a Yakima officer after a car chase in which police said several of their vehicles were rammed. Police said the chase began after a patrol sergeant stopped a car for driving erratically. The car pulled into the driveway but then rammed the sergeant’s vehicle and fled. >>>Hagarty was not asked to review that shooting.<<<

• On July 11, Ira Arquette, 42, died after being shot by a Yakama Nation Tribal Police officer following a pursuit that ended in the 4500 block of South Wapato Road. The FBI and tribal police were investigating that incident. Results of that investigation have not been announced.

Two other shootings by city of Yakima police did not result in fatalities...

• On Jan. 16, police shot Lorry J. Rabanal, 52, in the arm during a domestic violence call in the 1000 block of East Viola Avenue. Police said Rabanal threatened officers with a rifle. Rabanal pleaded guilty on March 5 to third-degree assault.

• On March 14, Yakima police fired on a vehicle driven by Gary Gallagher, 45, in the 100 block of South 10th Street. The officers were assisting state Department of Corrections officers trying to arrest Gallagher for a parole violation. Gallagher was not wounded.

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The original report from Yakima Herald can be seen here.