Brier officer dies after struggle at house

BRIER, Snohomish County — A 28-year-old Brier police officer died at Stevens Hospital on Tuesday night after he was called to a house and ended up in a struggle with a man police identified as the former mayor of the city.

The officer went to the house in the 22000 block of Vine Road in Brier at 4:40 p.m. to subdue a 55-year-old combative patient before he could be helped by medics, said Everett police spokesman Boyd Bryant.

Police sources said the man is former Brier mayor Gary Starks. The medical condition made him combative, Bryant said.

At some point during the struggle, the officer pressed the assistance button on his radio and said he needed help.

Mountlake Terrace police officers showed up and found the officer unconscious. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The man who had struggled with the officer was questioned by Mountlake Terrace police. The house where the struggle occurred belongs to Starks, and police said Starks was involved in the struggle.

The officer, whose name was not released, has been with the Brier Police Department just under a year.

Bryant said the officer had law enforcement experience prior to becoming a Brier officer.

According to the city of Brier Web site, the South Snohomish County department has seven patrol officers. Though crime in the small city is often limited to vehicle prowls, car thefts and traffic problems, a college student was shot to death during a house party on Sept. 3. Seven teens have been arrested in connection with 21-year-old Jay Clements' death.

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, Everett police and Mountlake Terrace police are investigating, which is common when an officer dies in the line of duty.