Three officers dead, one suspect dead after shootout

SEattlE

Three Seattle police officers were shot and injured during an exchange of gunfire with a suspect, who later died, after a robbery at a downtown convenience store.

Three people are suspected in the Thursday robbery at a 7-Eleven store near Pioneer Square, the city’s oldest neighbourhood, said Deputy Police Chief Carmen Best.

Officers chased two suspects, a 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl, who ran from the store, police said.

While one officer struggled with the male suspect on the ground, the girl struck the officer over the head with a bottle, police said. The 19-year-old then ran to the entryway of an office building where he shot at police, who returned fire, Best said.

Authorities closed off several downtown blocks throughout the afternoon as police cruisers flooded the area and SWAT officers searched a nearby federal building where the suspect had barricaded himself inside. The girl was arrested nearby.

Police said Thursday night that officers found the male suspect deceased.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the man died from police gunfire. Police said his cause of death would be determined by the King County Medical Examiner. A third suspect, another 19-year-old man was later identified and taken into custody.

One of the wounded officers, a 30-year-old man, was initially listed as critical with lifethreatening injuries after being shot in the chin and ribcage. Harborview Medical Center officials upgraded his condition within a few hours to serious but stable. Deputy Police Chief Carmen Best said the wounded officer was talking.