Machete-swinging man killed by police in Pasco identified. He’d made threats before

Pasco police officers shot and killed a 47-year-old man, who allegedly charged at them with a machete on Thursday night.

Salih Beslic of Pasco was identified as the suspect who confronted officers in an alley outside a shopping center on the 3200 block of Court Street.

Franklin County Coroner Curtis McGary said an autopsy is scheduled Saturday morning.

Beslic was in the parking lot of Andy’s North Restaurant and Lounge when he allegedly started threatening an 18-year-old, according to a report from a witness on Facebook.

He chased the teen to a car where the teen was able to get inside and called 911 about 6:45 p.m. Thursday.

A police Facebook post says officers tried to calm Beslic, but he allegedly refused to give up his weapon. Instead, he charged at officers, they said.

They were in an alleyway near the Cornerstone Church Tri-Cities when one officer shot Beslic, who died at the scene.

Police have not released the name of the officer involved in the shooting.

The Regional Special Investigations Unit has taken over the investigation, Pasco police said. The unit draws officers from Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties to investigate officer-involved shootings.

Franklin County sheriff’s Commander Marcus Conner sent a release on Friday saying investigators recovered a weapon from the scene. There is also police body camera video from the confrontation but it was not made public.

Beslic lived nearby on Opal Street, and had previously lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, according to public records. He was married with three children.

Previous threats

Court records show that Beslic had previous confrontations with police. He suffered from mental health issues and become agitated if he stopped taking his medication, said court documents.

In 2014, he pleaded guilty to third-degree assault when he threatened an officer with a 10-inch knife, according to court documents. He was sentenced to three months in jail.

The confrontation happened in June 2014 after officers were alerted that he may be trying to die by suicide following a disagreement with his wife.

When he raised the knife at an officer, the officer drew his gun and began yelling at him to drop the knife.

“Salih was looking at me and I felt that he was trying to attack me with the weapon,” Officer Adam Brewster wrote in 2014.

Brewster said he nearly pulled the trigger before Beslic threw the knife away. He continued to be uncooperative and a Taser was used to shock him.

In September 2020, he was arrested after officers found him swinging a sword in a Court Street parking lot. Officers tried to talk with him to get him to drop the weapon. He appeared ready to lunge, so officers also shocked him with a Taser.

He was not charged in that confrontation.