[chris]

Shortly after 2 a.m. on March 16, 2026, four Lacey Township police officers were dispatched to Susanne Clarke's residence on Hemlock Drive, near Birch Road, in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey. Clarke, 55, had called 911 and reported suffering from a suspected heart attack.

When officers arrived, Clarke was inside the residence and communicating from a window. Officers asked her to come to the front door to speak with them. She told them to leave her alone and did not come to the door.

Officers stayed on scene and continued telling Clarke they needed to speak with her to check on her well-being. EMS also arrived. Officers intermittently heard Clarke shouting for them to leave and saw her moving inside the home and lying on the floor.

After about 30 minutes, Officer Dallas Gant looked through the rear glass sliding door and said he saw a dog with a knife wound. Officers tried to enter the home, including by kicking the front door, but were unsuccessful. Gant then began entering through a side window and withdrew after seeing Clarke enter the room holding a knife.

Clarke then exited through the rear glass sliding door with a knife in her hand and advanced toward multiple officers. Gant and another officer ordered her to drop the knife. Gant fired multiple times, striking Clarke. Medical aid was rendered, and Clarke was pronounced deceased on scene at 3:24 a.m. A knife was recovered.

Watch the video of this incident here.