Officer in Critical Condition Following Standoff in Washington State
A Mount Vernon police officer was shot the evening of Thursday, December 15, in an incident that would stretch into the early morning hours of Friday before the suspect was apprehended.
Police officers responded to a call about 5:30 p.m. that a man had been shot at a residence. When officers arrived, they approached the building and were met with gunfire from inside the house.
A male officer was shot in the back of the head and taken to Harborview Medical Center where he underwent surgery short after he arrived. He is listed in critical condition as of Friday morning.
The suspect then barricaded himself inside the home starting an hours-long standoff with police. Residents in the area were asked to evacuate to a church a couple blocks from the residence for their safety and comfort. Officials also closed off a long stretch of the street from traffic.
Nearby a local college, Skagit Valley College, went into lockdown asking its students to “get inside and stay inside.”
The suspect exchanged gunfire with the police and SWAT teams until 12:30 a.m. when police were able to arrest the suspect without incident. Police also took two persons of interest into custody.
Police described the suspect as a “violent offender well-known to law enforcement.” As of Friday morning, police were unable to give a motive for the night’s events.