TACOMA, Washington – A police officer in Tacoma, Washington, has died and his suspected shooter was shot and killed after a standoff Thursday morning.
The Tacoma officer was responding to a domestic dispute Wednesday afternoon. The alleged shooter was believed to be barricaded alone inside a home, authorities say. Authorities said they could hear gunshots from inside the home but none were shot by officers.
“We have the house surrounded, but we have not been able to confirm that he is inside, so we have locked down the neighborhood,” Tacoma Police spokeswoman Loretta Cool said Wednesday night.
At some point, Cool said multiple people were inside the house, including children.
“We were able to remove some of the people that were in the house,” she said.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee sent his condolences to the family of the slain officer via Twitter.
The identity of the Tacoma officer, who died around 9 p.m. local time, has not been released.
According to CNN affiliate KIRO, dozens of police officers lined up outside the hospital to pay their respects. They formed a procession to take the officer’s body to the medical examiner’s office.
On the opposite side of the country, the Raleigh Police Department is conducting an investigation on the events that led to an officer being shot.
The officer was responding to a residential break-in, authorities said in a press release.
Witnesses told CNN affiliate WRAL that they heard gunshots and then saw a police officer on the ground.
Authorities have not released any detailed information about the incident. The officer is being treated for non-life threatening injures. The suspected shooter is being treated at the same hospital and is in critical, but stable condition.
