UPDATE 10/12/2016
The Seattle Police Department is releasing photos of the knife referenced in yesterday’s officer involved shooting.
In releasing this evidence, SPD does not intend to convey any interpretation or prejudgment of any of the involved parties. The Department intends only to provide a direct look at evidence that has been gathered by the Force Investigation Team. Anyone with information in this incident is asked to contact the Force Investigation Team at 206-684-9292.
Please visit the Force Investigation Team’s homepage for more information on the FIT investigative process.
ORIGINAL:
Shortly before 12:45 PM Tuesday, Seattle police officers were assisting city and state agencies in contacting individuals living in the East Duwamish Greenbelt, also known as “The Jungle.”
Two veteran officers were in a wooded area east of Airport Way South and South Stacy Street when they became aware of two men involved in an altercation. One of the men was armed with a knife.
Officers attempted to separate the individuals. During the encounter, one of the officers discharged her weapon, striking the man with the knife. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
The second man sustained a non-life-threatening knife wound on his hand during the incident and was also transported to Harborview. No officers were injured during the incident.
The officer who discharged her firearm during the incident will be placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
As per SPD policy, designed in collaboration with the Department of Justice, detectives from the Force Investigation Team and Crime Scene Investigators responded to the scene with representatives from the Office of Professional Accountability to collect evidence and review the incident. Violent crimes detectives are also separately investigating the assault with the knife.
This is a developing incident and we will update this post with additional information as it becomes available.