Here is some updated information on last night’s officer-involved shooting in the 10100 Block of 4th Avenue NW.
At about 7:35 pm last night officers responded to a domestic violence call at a home near NW 100th Place and 4th Avenue NW. Officers had received a report that an 21-year-old man was holding a knife to his father’s throat.
Officers arrived and approached the house and saw the suspect standing outside. As police attempted to talk to the 21-year-old man, his father came out of the home, and officers moved the father to safety and attempted to take the suspect into custody.
The suspect attempted to go back into the house once his father had been moved away. Officers attempted a taser application, but that was not effective. The suspect then ran southbound pursued by officers who tried a second taser deployment, again with no effect. The suspect stopped abruptly next to a parked car in an area that had very little ambient lighting. One of the pursuing officers slipped on the wet ground and fell on his back, landing near the suspect.
The suspect withdrew a long piece of metal from his beltline and raised it over his head, and came toward the officer. The three officers were forced to fire their weapons to defend themselves, striking the suspect. The long metal object turned out to be an 18 inch long piece of rebar.
They immediately called for Seattle Fire and Medics transported the man to Harborview Medical Center. The man was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Detectives from the Homicide and Assault Unit, as well as CSI responded to the scene and began their investigation. The three involved officers are currently on paid administrative leave, which is standard in any officer-involved shooting investigation. None of the officers involved were seriously hurt during this confrontation. This remains an active and on-going investigation.