Man Fatally Shot by Seattle Police After Reported Gun Incident

Man Shot by Police on Seattle Street After 911 Calls

A man was fatally shot by Seattle police around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday during a confrontation on a Seattle street after multiple 911 calls reported that he was walking and waving a gun at people, according to a Seattle Police Department news release.

Officers Respond to Reports of Armed Man

Seattle police stated that they received numerous 911 calls about a man carrying a gun and pointing it at passersby. One caller told a dispatcher that a man with a gun was walking up Othello Street from Rainier Avenue and pointing the weapon at people driving by.

Body Camera Footage Shows Confrontation

Newly released body camera footage from two responding Seattle police officers shows the unidentified man walking toward the officers while waving a gun. In the footage, officers repeatedly order the man to drop the weapon, with one officer shouting, "Drop it, drop it" and "Drop the gun!" as the man approaches.

Police Fire Multiple Rounds

According to the footage described by police, both officers fired more than two dozen shots at the man, causing him to fall to the ground. The man then sat up and waved the gun again, at which point officers fired additional rounds. After the subsequent shots, the man remained on the ground.

Medical Aid and Death at the Scene

The Seattle Police Department reported that officers rendered medical aid to the man after the shooting. Despite these efforts, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not publicly identified him.

External Investigation Announced

The department stated that the officer-involved shooting will be investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office, in accordance with Seattle Police Department guidelines for external review of such incidents. Police did not disclose whether the two officers involved would be removed from street duty while the investigation is underway.

Statement From Police Chief

Following the shooting, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes commented that de-escalation and compliance are preferred, but said that officers sometimes lack sufficient time to use those approaches when a person is carrying a firearm and moving toward them or toward other people.