An armed man was shot and killed by Seattle police Thursday evening, Oct. 30, in the city’s SODO neighborhood after officers said non-lethal attempts to subdue him were unsuccessful.
The incident happened around 7:45 p.m. near 4th Avenue South and South Holgate Street, according to Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes. Officers initially confronted the man, who they said was carrying an edged weapon, possibly an axe.
Barnes said officers first deployed non-lethal force, but it failed to stop the man.
“At some point, the male produced a firearm,” the King County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “More than one SPD officer fired their handguns at the man. Medical aid was quickly rendered by SPD officers and Seattle Fire Department personnel.”
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured.
Barnes noted that this marks the department’s first critical officer-involved incident since the end of the federal Consent Decree earlier this year.
The King County Independent Force Investigations Team (IFIT) is now leading the investigation. The cause of the initial confrontation and further details about the man’s identity have not yet been released.
Police advised drivers to avoid the area, as 4th Avenue South remained closed for several hours during the investigation.
Want more local news? Follow Puget Press Seattle on Facebook.
