County plans investigation of Fall City man's death

The shooting death of a 42 year-old Fall City man will be the subject of an inquest ordered by King County Executive Dow Constantine.

A six-member panel will review the details of the Dec. 10 incident, in which the man, identified as Eric Todd Berg, with no permanent address,  was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy.

The incident began in the early morning at the Fall City Mobile Park, where the victim was heard yelling and creating a disturbance. Many residents knew the man, believed to live under a nearby bridge, and were familiar with his end-of-the-world rants. A few called 911. By about 6:30 a.m., the man had become significantly more aggressive and was making threats that prompted multiple calls to 911.

The responding deputy found Berg lying under a porch, and tried to calm him down, witnesses said. Berg reportedly charged the deputy and got control of his Tazer after the officer tried to use it. As the officer backed away, Berg continued to advance, so the officer shot him.

Berg was taken to Harborview Hospital, where he later died. The Medical Examiner reported that he'd died of several gunshot wounds.

The deputy was placed on administrative leave during the mandatory investigation that followed the incident. Following the sheriff's department review of the case, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg recommended the inquest.

King County District Court Judge Corinna Harn has been assigned to conduct the inquest.

 

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