Washington police shoot, kill suspect in Tacoma officer’s death

SEATTLE — The suspect in the fatal shooting of a Tacoma officer has been shot and killed by police after a lengthy barricade situation, authorities said early Thursday.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Ed Troyer says the suspect was shot about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, ending an 11-hour standoff. The suspect has not been identified.

Troyer said the suspect refused to surrender during negotiations with officials, and that the man was using two children as human shields.

Troyer says a girl and a boy, found unharmed, were taken from the house. He said multiple weapons were found in the house.

Earlier, the neighborhood had been locked down while officers from multiple agencies worked to bring about a peaceful resolution.

Before the standoff began, a Tacoma officer was shot multiple times while answering a domestic violence call Wednesday. The officer has not been identified.

Tacoma Police spokeswoman Loretta Cool said the officer was pronounced dead at the hospital after nightfall.

“We’ve suffered a great loss and I think the community has suffered a great loss. I don’t know how to put that into words,” Cool said.

After the death of the officer, a procession of law enforcement officers from around the region escorted the body from the hospital to the county medical examiner’s office.

Cool said police responded to the home Wednesday afternoon on the 400 block of East 52nd Street and that shortly after arriving, officers called for backup.

Reacting to shots fired, arriving officers entered the home and managed to get the wounded officer outside and to a hospital, Cool said. She had said the officer had been undergoing surgery before the death was announced.

It wasn’t immediately clear what led up to the shooting.

In a statement, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he and his wife Trudi were sending their thoughts and prayers to the family and loved ones of the officer.

“All of Washington grieves with Tacoma, which tonight lost one of their finest. Our hearts are with the men and women of the Tacoma Police Department, their families, and their brothers and sisters in law enforcement across Washington.”