Tacoma PD officer shoots suspected car thief, non life-threatening injury

TACOMA - A Tacoma police officer shot and wounded a suspected car thief after a confrontation, Sunday afternoon.  Police spokesperson Loretta Cool said the officer fired a single shot, hitting the driver of a stolen car just before 2p near 46th Street South and South Asotin St.

An officer spotted the stolen car and followed it as it parked.  As more officers arrived, police contacted the driver of the car, Cool said.

Some sort of altercation between the driver and the officers broke out, with the driver reportedly struggling with officers.

One officer was holding onto the driver when he reportedly was able to enter the driver's seat of a police car and step on the gas, accelerating forward, Cool said.  The patrol car struck another parked car and a house.

Officers were able to then take the driver into custody.  During the incident one police officer fired a single shot, wounding the driver in the leg, Cool said.

Medics transported the driver to Tacoma General hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The Tacoma police officer is one administrative leave, pending the outcome of the shooting investigation, Cool said.

This is a developing story which will be updated.