SOUTH SEATTLE — A man was shot and killed by police near South Othello Street and Martin Luther King Junior Way in Seattle early this afternoon.
The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. when police responded to reports of a shirtless man waving a gun near a school.
Investigators say the man did not comply when approached and walked toward officers, prompting them to open fire.
“Obviously, if somebody is brandishing a firearm, walking toward an elementary school, walking toward an area of commerce, you want that person to put that weapon down as soon as possible. Compliance is always best, de-escalation is always best, but sometimes you don’t have the benefit of time when someone is carrying a firearm and walking toward you, or walking toward innocent people,” Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes stated.
After the man was shot, police used a 40-millimeter sponge round to disarm him, knocking the gun out of his hand.
CPR was performed, but the suspect did not survive.
Salish Sea Elementary School was placed on lockdown during the incident, and police say a passerby was injured by shards of glass or possibly bullet fragments, though they are expected to recover.
Eyewitness Hashim Banks expressed concern over the police response, suggesting more could have been done to de-escalate the situation before it turned deadly.
The King County Force Investigative Team is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting, with involvement from the Office of Police Accountability and the Office of the Inspector General.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, as authorities seek to understand the circumstances that led to the fatal encounter.
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