Teen arrested in weekend shooting of Seattle officer was allegedly involved in February murder
Dec 3, 2025, 4:57 PM | Updated: 6:18 pm
Multiple officers with the SPD investigate a vehicle that ended up in Tukwila, after a suspect fired shots at an officer on I-5 in south Seattle, Saturday night. (Photo courtesy of SPD)
(Photo courtesy of SPD)
There is new information regarding one of the teens arrested over the weekend, who is accused of firing shots at a Seattle Police Department (SPD) officer.
The 16-year-old was one of three teens, ages 16 and under, arrested Saturday night for fleeing from police and shooting at officers. Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Adam Faber said the same boy was allegedly involved in a murder back in February.
“He has been charged in a homicide here in Pierce County, and a bench warrant has been active for him since that time,” Faber explained.
The victim, 18, was shot at point-blank range inside his apartment building elevator. So far, there is no motive for the shooting. The two other suspects were arrested shortly after the murder, but police had been unable to find the outstanding suspect — until now.
“He is one of three juvenile defendants who were charged regarding the homicide of Messiah Washington that took place earlier this year in Tacoma,” Faber said.
The teen is in juvenile detention in Seattle, but at some point, he will be moved to Pierce County to face a murder charge.
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As for the other three teens, two were released, while the third will stay in detention along with the fourth teen, according to KIRO 7. All four teens were ordered not to contact each other. Two other suspects remain at large.
The incident started at approximately 9 p.m. Saturday night on Aurora Avenue N., when police tried to pull over an erratically driven Dodge Durango. The vehicle sped off, with officers choosing not to pursue it.
Officers later spotted the vehicle near I-5 and Corson Avenue S. The car fled police once more, heading southbound on the freeway. As police chased it, someone in the Durango fired several shots at an officer in an unmarked car.
The officer was not hit, but another car was. Bullet fragments ended up on the lap of someone in that car.
Police followed the Durango to the South 188th exit, conducting a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle. A PIT (Pursuit Immobilization Technique) maneuver is a “pursuit tactic by which a pursuing vehicle can force a fleeing vehicle to abruptly turn sideways, causing the driver to lose control and stall the engine.”
Once the chase was over, officers made several arrests — three girls, ages 15 to 17, and a 16-year-old boy who had a warrant for felony robbery. Two other male suspects ran off. K-9s with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) tried to chase them, but they got away.
The Durango turned out to be stolen. Officers recovered two handguns in the car.
“The respondent was found in a stolen vehicle where multiple firearms were involved, and where shots were fired at a police vehicle,” King County Deputy Prosecutor Adam Vandelaaschot said. “The state has serious concerns for community safety.”
Later that night, a man turned up at Valley Medical Center in Renton with a gunshot wound to the leg. Detectives are trying to figure out if his injury was related to the pursuit of the Durango.
This story was originally published on December 1, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.
Contributing: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio; KIRO 7
