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Authorities in suburban Seattle have identified a police officer shot and killed after a brief vehicle pursuit
BOTHELL, Wash. —
Investigators said Tuesday they are looking into what prompted gunfire that left one police officer dead and another injured during an overnight pursuit in a Seattle suburb.
The shooting occurred after Bothell police tried to pull over a black sedan about 9:40 p.m. Monday on State Route 522. The driver fled, striking a pedestrian and crashing through a median before coming to a stop, the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team said in a statement Tuesday.
Gunfire was exchanged before the suspect ran off, and other responding officers found the first two shot at the scene, one fatally, the statement said.
Police hunted for the suspect for almost six hours, saying they were searching for a male suspect who was armed and wearing a gray tank top and baggy sweatpants. They finally found and arrested him on a nearby rooftop where he had been hiding, they said.
Bothell police identified the slain officer Tuesday as Jonathan Shoop, who began his law enforcement career with the department just over a year ago. He had previously served in the Coast Guard, the department said in a written statement.
He is survived by his mother, brothers and fiancee, the statement said.
“Jonathan was a dedicated officer who served the City of Bothell with professionalism and compassion,” it said.
The suspect’s name was not immediately released.
The surviving officer was treated and released from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said. The pedestrian remained in satisfactory condition Tuesday.
“We are relieved to know a suspect has been apprehended, and we will continue to follow this situation,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a written statement. “I send the deepest condolences to the family and friends of this public servant who was killed while serving the community.”
Witness Johny Colunga, 37, told The Seattle Times he was on the roof of an apartment building with his girlfriend and a couple of friends when he heard what sounded like racing cars and saw police lights. He got out a phone and started recording, and then the fleeing vehicle turned around right in front of them, he said.
“They were shooting out the window at the cop car and then … the cop car got shot at and slowed down and oh my God, it was crazy and they fled the scene,” he said.
A memorial to the slain officer was growing outside Bothell’s City Hall, where well-wishers piled flowers atop and around a parked police vehicle.
In a tweet, Bothell Councilman Mason Thompson said he was heartbroken.
“My prayers are with the officers who have been shot and their families,” Thompson said.
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