Two officer-involved shootings in Seattle early Tuesday
Sep 29, 2015, 5:04 AM | Updated: 9:29 am
The blue LED lights on the ground indicate shell casings found after the shooting. (Jake Whittenberg, KING 5)
(Jake Whittenberg, KING 5)
Seattle police officers shot two men in unrelated cases early Tuesday morning within hours from each other.
“They started as completely separate incidents. They are miles apart,” said Detective Patrick Michaud with the Seattle Police Department.
“We had a suspect with a gun in the last one, and we have a suspect with a knife in this one,” he said.
Maple Leaf
Officers shot a suspected car prowler multiple times in the Maple Leaf neighborhood shortly before 5 a.m.
“Just after 4:45 a.m. today we got a call for a car prowl…witnesses said the suspect had left,” Michaud said, noting that the witnesses saw the suspect inside their car.
“Officers came into the area, found the suspect who then ran away,” he said. “They pursued him. At one point he displayed a knife. Officers attempted to use a taser — the taser application failed. Then officers shot the suspect.”
It is unknown if the man charged at officers with the knife before they shot him multiple times.
The Seattle Fire Department reported that medics were transporting an adult male with multiple gunshot wounds to Harborview Medical Center from the Maple Leaf scene at 6:18 a.m. The man was in critical condition.
Downtown
Earlier Tuesday, a Seattle officer shot a man in downtown who was carrying a handgun.
Shortly before 3 a.m., police received a report about a man walking around with a gun at 5th Avenue and Madison Street. Police tracked the man to 2nd Avenue and Spring Street where they ordered him to drop his weapon.
Officers then fired on the man, hitting him once in the hand. The 25-year-old man was then taken into custody and sent to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
Two officers responded to the scene. Two shell casings were found on the ground after the shooting, however, it is not clear if one or both of the officers fired. Neither officer was injured.
An investigation into the shooting is underway. Detectives are speaking with witnesses.
All officers involved with the shootings have been placed on administrative leave, which is department policy, Michaud said.
