Damarius Butts, 19

Seattle, Washington
April 20, 2017

Cause of death: Shooting


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Last updated: almost 6 years ago

Overview

Three Seattle police officers were shot and wounded while trying to arrest robbery suspects in downtown Seattle on Thursday afternoon before one of the suspects barricaded himself in a nearby building where he was later found dead.

A male officer, who was shot in the face, was initially listed in critical condition but was upgraded to serious condition. He remains in serious condition Friday morning. A female officer, whose Kevlar vest saved her from a life-threatening gunshot wound to the chest, was treated at a hospital and released. 

A third officer suffered a hand wound and was treated and released from Harborview Medical Center, police said. A fourth officer was struck by a bottle during the struggle with the robbers and was treated at the scene, police said.

One suspect, a 17-year-old girl, was arrested near the shooting scene around 2:10 p.m., about 45 minutes after the officers were shot near Madison Street and Western Avenue. The two other suspects, including the one found dead, are 19-year-old men, police said.

The shooting created a chaotic scene downtown as police flooded the area and ordered office workers to stay inside and closed off downtown streets, causing gridlock until the start of the evening commute. During the search for suspects, police were unsure how many people had been involved in the robbery and shooting.