The man who reportedly shot a Duvall Police officer Sept. 15, fired on a King County Deputy’s vehicle, and led police on a high speed chase up the Valley and into a three-hour standoff, could face two assault charges, if he’s found competent.
Joshua Stephen Kramer, 47, of Woodinville, has been ordered committed by the court, to determine his competency to stand trial.
He did not appear in court as ordered on Sept. 17, nor for his October 2 arraignment, or his Oct. 23 competency hearing.
The court will reconsider Kramer’s mental state within 90 days.
According to court documents, the incident for which Kramer could face felony assault charges began at around 10:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15, when a Woodinville resident called 911 about someone in a dark SUV, driving past his home and shooting paintballs at the house and himself. The caller reported the license number, which police identified as belonging to Kramer.
Shooting incident
At 10:46 p.m., Duvall Police were notified of a subject in a dark SUV shooting paintballs on Duvall’s Main Street. Officers Joe Eaton and Mike DeBock responded to the call, locating a 1999 black Chevy Tahoe in the parking lot of a church on Cherry Valley Road, across the street from Cherry Valley Elementary School.
Officer Eaton reported that the man was standing outside his vehicle when Eaton drove into the parking lot, but got in the vehicle and attempted to drive off. Eaton activated his lights, and then his siren, but the man ignored him, and drove to an exit that was blocked by posts. He then backed the Tahoe up and into Eaton’s vehicle, then drove north in the parking lot. Eaton followed.
Officer DeBock arrived during this time and parked his vehicle to partially block the exit from the church’s north parking lot, court papers state. He then got out of his vehicle and drew his weapon. The Tahoe continued toward him, around the police car, then it stopped about seven feet away. The driver then pointed a handgun at DeBock and fired one bullet, which hit DeBock in the left leg, passing through the front of his thigh. DeBock returned fire, then got into his vehicle to pursue the Tahoe.
Eaton, also following, said he briefly lost sight of the Tahoe after it exited the parking lot, but it appeared to be waiting on Cherry Valley Road, driving off again after he had seen it. Eaton and DeBock continued the pursuit southbound on S.R. 203, and DeBock gave up the pursuit when other agencies were called in, returning to the church parking lot for medical attention.
A sheriff’s deputy, Officer Gulla, reported that he picked up the chase at the Tolt River Bridge in Carnation, and was driving directly in front of Kramer’s vehicle when a bullet shattered his back window. Gulla was not injured, but the Tahoe was not stopped until police disabled it with spike strips in the 5500 block of Preston-Fall City Road.
According to the statement of probable cause, Kramer then exited the vehicle, with a .45 caliber handgun and a knife. Police fired non-lethal rounds at him, but they appeared to have no effect. The county’s SWAT team was called in during the two- to three-hour standoff with Kramer. He fired his weapon several more times but not at any of the officers.
He eventually surrendered, and police determined his identity. He also has an alias, Steven Lamoureux.
Officer DeBock was treated and released from the hospital within a few hours. He returned to duty in early November.
Kramer is in custody in the King County Jail. Bail has been set at $1 million.
