14th Tacoma Homicide of 2022: Michael Mercado

Michael Mercado, 37 is not in his right mind on the afternoon of March 16, 2022. Toxicology reports will later reveal that he has amphetamine, methamphetamine and THC in his system. Around 3pm near the Tacoma Mall’s west entrance Michael crashes into another person’s vehicle, then drives away. A witness flags down a Tacoma police officer, a twenty-year veteran of the department.

When the officer begins to approach Michael’s vehicle, Michael exits the slow moving vehicle, leaving it in gear, and heading towards the officer and her vehicle. He also approaches with small black object that police video shows him holding as if it is a pistol. The officer tells him to put it down, but he refuses. She fires two shots at him and takes cover as he has not put down the metal object she believes to be a gun.

Michael’s car door hits the officer as she tries to take cover. The car then continues down the hill eventually being stopped by another vehicle.

A second officer arrives on the scene. Michael, wounded, points the object at the second responding officer. The second officer orders Michael to put the object down. He continues to hold and point it. The second officer fires four rounds at Michael. The first responding officer fires one last shot believing the other officer to be in danger.

The officers performed life-saving procedures while waiting for paramedics, but Michael was pronounced dead on the scene with five bullet wounds. He is the fourteenth Tacoma homicide of 2022.

The metal object in Michael’s hand is a knife in its sheath with a pistol-like grip.

Michael lived his whole life in Kennewick, Washington. He was a father of eight. He primarily worked as a landscaper, but would play music whenever he had the time. He was a San Diego Chargers fan. He was almost always smiling and loved being the life of the party. He was a family-oriented guy and his kids meant the world to him.

This is the second Tacoma police involved shooting of 2022. An investigation into the shooting death of Michael cleared the two officers involved in his death of any wrongdoing. Witnesses to the shooting also believed that Michael had a gun in his hand.

When I read about Michael’s death and watched the police video of the event, it did not surprise me to learn that he had methamphetamine in his system because that is frequently the case when otherwise normal individuals behave erratically and violently. It is a tragedy to see so many lives cut short do to the behavior resulting from the use of methamphetamine.

Michael had a large family and was well liked. Each of them has had their life forever altered due to that afternoon in March of 2022.

As always, the comment section is reserved for those who knew Michael Mercado and want to share thoughts or memories of him.

- Jack Cameron

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