A Washington police officer is dead and another is critically injured following an early morning incident, according to Washington State Patrol.
The preliminary investigation shows that both the death and injury were accidental. As an officer attempted to place a spike strip on the road to stop a suspect from fleeing, a Kent Police Department patrol car struck and killed him.
The suspect(s) were wanted for a shooting that occurred around 2 a.m. The responding officers heard gunshots and observed a red truck attempting to flee.
The suspect crashed the vehicle some time after the accident and was apprehended by police. It’s unclear if there were multiple suspects, but while police attempted to arrest one suspect, an officer was accidentally shot and injured by a fellow officer. The gunshot victim was rushed to Harborview Medical Center and is currently in critical condition.
Following the tragedy, the Kent Police Department released a statement on Facebook:
It is with great heartbreak that the Kent Police Department announces that we have lost one of our officers in the line of duty early this morning. The Patrol Officer was assisting with the capture of subjects who were attempting to elude the police when he was struck by a vehicle. Life- saving efforts were not successful. The Officer is an eight year veteran with Kent Police; his contributions to our department, and positive impact on his co-workers and the community, have been significant. The Officer’s name is not being released at this time pending the notification of extended family and friends.
Washington State Patrol Captain Ron Mead addressed the media at a press conference, according to Q13 Fox. “Make no question about this, were it not for the actions of this suspect or suspects, this officer would be alive today. It’s directly because of the suspect or suspect’s actions that led to the officer’s death,” he said.
This is a developing story