EATONVILLE—
Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy Nick Hausner continues to recover at Madigan Army Medical Center after he and Deputy Kent Mundell were gunned down by David Crable.Sgt. Hausner's neighbors are rallying around the injured deputy. Larry Baker says Hausner is a special man.
"He's the finest neighbor you could ever ask for," said Hausner.
Baker calls Hausner a dedicated cop, loving husband and great father for his two kids. When Hausner's wife called him and said Nick was shot he stepped in to help.
"She called and asked if we could sit a little bit with the kids because she was taking off real fast," said Baker.
When next door neighbor David Steelsmith learned Sergeant Hausner was shot his heart sunk.
"More concern over did he survive. If he did survive how badly injured was he," said Steelsmith.
David says Nick is a selfless man who always helps out, especially when there are jobs he can't do as an amputee diabetic.
"He was doing his roof and we heard a ladder against our wall outside and a hose dragging around, pretty soon he was doing our roof," said Steelsmith.
Investigators say Sergeant Hausner and Deputy Kent Mundell were trying to remove David Crable from his brother's Eatonville home on Monday night on a domestic disturbance call. Crable had a history of domestic violence.
Deputies say Crable had agreed to go but while leaving he pulled out a gun hidden in a shirt and got off 10 shots. According to cops it was Mundell that returned fire and killed Crable.
Word of the shooting brought back memories for Larry Baker of the Lakewood Police Officers that were killed.
"Everybody was thinking about the 4 that were shot just last month there and this happens to Nick and that other fellow too," said Baker.
Just down the street from Sergeant Hausner's home neighbors have put up a sign that says God Bless deputies Mundell and Hausner. Several neighbors have written messages of hope and prayer for the men to recover.
Hausner's family says he is in stable condition at Madigan Army Medical Center and could be released from the hospital tomorrow.
