Man killed in officer-involved shooting ID’d

The Whitman County Coroner’s Office announced Monday that 36-year-old Brent Lee Kopacka died Thursday during an incident at the 1000 block of SE Latah Street in Pullman.

The coroner stated in a news release the cause of death was a gunshot wound and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. The name of the officer who shot Kopacka hasn’t been released. A Washington State Patrol trooper told the Daily News the Washington State University Police Department will soon release the officer’s name after going through their procedures and policies.

According to past reporting, the Pullman Police Department responded to the 1000 block of SE Latah Street on Wednesday evening to a report of a man allegedly threatening to kill his roommates in their apartment. Officers tried to speak to the man, now identified as Kopacka, who barricaded himself inside his apartment. Whitman County requested assistance from the Washington State Patrol later that night. Pullman police crisis negotiators and the Whitman County Regional SWAT team responded, but Kopacka began to fire inside the apartment.

Kopacka was fatally shot by a SWAT team member early Thursday morning. According to past reporting, the SWAT team took action after negotiations failed, Kopacka’s behavior intensified, and the situation continued to pose a danger to the community and officers. Kopacka was found dead by the SWAT team after they cleared the apartment.

Corbeill Funeral Homes posted Kopacka’s obituary Monday afternoon, stating he was a veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 2005-09. Kopacka sustained a traumatic brain injury in combat in Afghanistan, which caused him to have PTSD symptoms, according to the obituary.

During the incident, about 28 residents, including 20 student residents and eight non-student residents, were evacuated from the complex, according to past reporting. They were transported to Washington State University’s Beasley Coliseum, relocated to WSU Student Recreation Center and then moved to a hotel while the complex was being investigated.

According to past reporting, the case was passed to the Palouse Area Law Enforcement Critical Incident Response Team and the Washington State Patrol, who are currently investigating the incident. Washington law requires an independent agency to complete further investigation when an involved officer uses deadly force. The SWAT team is composed of officers from the Pullman Police Department, the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office and the WSU Police Department.

More information will be provided by the WSP as the investigation progresses. According to past reporting, when the Palouse Area Law Enforcement Critical Incident Response Team finishes its investigation, the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office will review the case.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.