Former detective who survived a 2023 shooting discovered dead in a lake in Montana

Retired Detective Found Dead Following Boating Incident

A retired detective from Washington, who had previously faced gunfire on duty in 2023, was discovered deceased in Lake Montana this past Tuesday after going missing a few days earlier during a boating accident, authorities have reported.

The King County Sheriff’s Office verified that 67-year-old David Easterly died following the boating incident on Saturday. “Our thoughts are with the family of Detective Easterly, who served alongside him during his 25-year career in King County,” the agency stated. They also expressed gratitude to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for their support during this difficult period.

Easterly’s body was located at Flathead Lake on Tuesday afternoon, approximately three days after he fell into the water from his boat and vanished, as confirmed by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

His remains have been sent to the Montana Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, while the Lake County Coroner’s Office is looking into the details surrounding his death.

Back in March 2023, Easterly was shot twice while serving eviction notices with two other deputies in the Ballard area of Seattle. The bullets struck him near his protective vest, one hitting the left side of his chest and the other his left side. Unfortunately, the 29-year-old male tenant involved was found deceased in his home, with the prosecutor’s office concluding it was a suicide by gunshot.

Easterly managed to survive that terrifying incident, undergoing several surgeries and a lengthy recovery process. Reflecting on that experience, he noted of the shooting, “I thought I was going to die; I really did. I was coming and going.”

During a press conference held when he was released from the hospital in May 2023, he expressed a deep emotional gratitude, stating, “Most of the blood that flows through me now doesn’t even belong to me. It belongs to those generous and brave enough to give it.”