Merry Christmas Challenge!rs. More from the files of the weird and wacky, this is from the Christmas Eve edition of the Yakima paper.

MAN KILLED AFTER ATTACKING OFFICER:
Ellensburg, Washington

A Kittitas County sherrif's deputy shot and killed a man who raced toward him waving a hammer after an accident on I-82 Monday afternoon.

The incident began with a minor, non-injury accident between a Datsun car and a Chevrolet van about 12 miles south of Ellensburg. When the trooper approached the car, the driver refused to get out or otherwise respond, but he displayed a knife.

The trooper then tried to forcibly remove the man, but was struck in the face with a blast of pepper spray from the driver. After a brief struggle, the man and the officer began fighting in the median.

A deputy responding to the trooper's request for assistance began chasing the man on foot. The man pulled out a clawhammer and began chasing the deputy. The deputy tried to retreat and fired his pepper spray canister at the man to no effect. When the man ran toward him at full speed, waving the hammer, the deputy opened fire.

As the man continued to attack with the hammer, the deputy fired additional rounds. The man was struck several times and died at the scene.

Westbound traffic on I-82 slowed to a crawl as investigators looked for clues. Medics that responded to the call noted that the victim was dead at the scene, and also that the dead man was dressed as a woman, and had breast implants. They did not find any identification at the scene.

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The Song Challenge! winner around our fireplace tonight was a lovely little ditty called "I Got my Gal Some Boobs for Christmas (I'll read the directions next time fer shure)"