Investigators releasing few details about felon shot by Seattle PD

SEATTLE - A wanted felon has died after being shot by Seattle Police. Officers say they spotted the man in the Wedgwood neighborhood and tried to get him to cooperate. When he didn’t, they opened fire.

Police have not released the felon’s name or why he was wanted yet. But police say he was someone they considered to be armed and dangerous, and that’s why they were forced to take action.

When police cars and ambulances started streaming into his Wedgwood neighborhood this afternoon, Ben Johnson and his wife got worried.

“I didn't know what we were in for, I was getting ready to batten down the hatches,” he says. “Someone might be running loose right now in my neighborhood.”

Johnson says he couldn’t see what was happening on the street, but he could hear the commotion.

“I heard 4 or 5 consistent gun shots. It sounded like someone was knocking on my back deck door really loudly. I heard the shots and then I immediately heard someone yell get down, get down on the ground get down.”

Police say officers had been tracking a suspicious car in the neighborhood, when they spotted the well-known felon. Officers started shouting orders at him, but he wasn’t cooperating.

“Given that the suspect was believed to be armed, the officers fired shots,” says Captain Sean O’Donnell. “The suspect was hit and went down.”

Medics took him to Harborview, where he died from his injuries. Two other people with him were taken into custody. Police say right now they aren’t sure if the felon had a gun, but say that’s something they will be looking into.

“This scene is being investigated right now by our Force Investigation Team, as well as several other specialty units of the SPD.”

Police say it’s too early to talk about the suspect’s criminal past or why he might have been in the neighborhood. The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave, while the investigation is underway.