CLEARVIEW — Three law enforcement officers with a King County-based SWAT agency shot a murder suspect as the result of an incident that happened in the parking lot of the Clearview Safeway (the former Albertsons) Monday afternoon around 2:40 p.m.
The circumstances of the incident were detailed in a news release from the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART) Team, a specialist group of experts who investigate police uses of force.
"The Valley SWAT team (King County) had been conducting surveillance on a murder suspect at a nearby residence and followed him to the parking lot where he went into a business," the news release said. "As he returned to his vehicle, an unmarked police vehicle drove up behind him and officers exited and gave him verbal commands to surrender. The suspect accelerated forward ramming a bystander vehicle and then accelerated backwards into the unmarked police vehicle multiple times. Three Valley SWAT members fired multiple shots striking the suspect."
The adult man who was shot was taken to Harborview Medical Center, a SMART Team spokesperson confirmed.
That man was the only one injured.
A second man in the vehicle was detailed but released, a SMART Team news release says. "A juvenile in the backseat was released to his parent," the release says.
Two of the involved officers are employed by Kent Police Department and one is employed by Federal Way Police Department, according to the SMART Team.
The sheriff's office responded to a report of "multiple shots fired" that afternoon.
The SMART Team are convened whenever there is a police use of force incident. Their role is in part to crosscheck that proper procedure and professional conduct occurred when there is a police use of force.
The store is at state Route 9 and 176th Street SE.
