Skip to main content

You make this possible. Support our independent, nonprofit newsroom today.

Give Now

3 officers shot, 1 suspect dead in Seattle 7-Eleven robbery

Three Seattle Police officers were shot on Thursday afternoon after a robbery at a 7-Eleven convenience store in downtown Seattle. One of the three suspects they were chasing died from injuries sustained during the chase.

The shooting occurred as police officers chased two suspects on First Avenue around 1:30 p.m.

"There was an exchange of gunfire. That suspect fled into a building nearby and was barricaded in that building," said Deputy Chief Carmen Best.

Best said one of the officers, age 42, was struck in the chest but saved by her bulletproof vest. She was treated at Harborview Medical Center and released Thursday night. The other officer, age 30, was hit in the face and rib cage. His condition was upgraded from critical to serious. A third officer suffered a hand wound.

The shooting happened several blocks from the 7-Eleven, near Madison Street and Western Avenue. That's seven blocks south of the Pike Place Market.

The suspect who fired at police was found dead inside the Federal Building. It was unclear how he died.

Two suspects are in custody, according to Seattle Police.

Police flooded the area, closing streets and warning people to stay away.

"We've got the doors locked, and the cops are all around us," said Cindi Raykovich, co-owner of a nearby running shoe store, according to the Associated Press. "They want us to stay in the back room. When we walk out front, there's a guy standing out front who points at us and tells us to go back."

Why you can trust KUOW