Federal Way man killed over narcotics in Puyallup motel

Published 11:53 am Monday, April 18, 2016

A Federal Way man was shot and killed at a Puyallup motel on Saturday.

According to a news release, Puyallup Police Department officials found Lucas Gritzke, 25, in a motel room at the Northwest Motor Inn, 1409 S. Meridian St. in Puyallup, just before 5 a.m. on Saturday. He’d suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. Officers had responded to a 911 caller who reported the shooting.

Gritzke was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police, and the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed he died from his chest wound.

Detectives arrested a 25-year-old suspect who had left the scene in a vehicle but later returned.

Police determined in their initial investigation that a dispute had occurred in the motel room that was “likely related to narcotics.” It was during the dispute that the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot Gritzke, officers said.

The Puyallup Police Department’s Major Crime Unit and Special Investigations Unit responded to the scene and are conducting the investigation.