The Bothell, WA police officer killed in an exchange of gunfire earlier this week apparently died from a gunshot wound to the head fired from his partner’s pistol, according to court documents obtained by Liberty Park Press and TheGunMag.com.
Earlier reports indicated that Officer Jonathan Shoop was killed by suspect Henry Eugene Washington, now in custody and facing charges of aggravated first-degree murder, attempted murder in the first degree and vehicular assault. That was reported by Liberty Park Press here. This new revelation changes that scenario, but does not change the charges against the suspect.
But the revelation was contained in a certification for determination of probable cause prepared by Detective David Fontenot with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Unit.
According to Fontenot’s narrative, “The investigation information to this point indicates that the Bothell officers were discharging their firearms from inside their vehicle in response to Washington aggressively approaching their vehicle while armed with a gun and/or firing into the police unit.
“At least 9 shell casings were found inside the Bothell police unit,” the narrative continues. “Trajectory analysis was performed using information obtained during the autopsy, videos of the shooting and evidence found in the car. From this evidence, it was concluded that Washington fired two shots into the driver’s side window breaking the glass’ one of those shots struck the Mobile Data Unit and it appears that the bullet is lodged inside the device. The other bullet fired by Washington struck Officer Kumcur’s firearm that he was holding in a raised position. This bullet hit the top of Officer Kumcur’s gun and broke the gun’s rear sight. That bullet then hit Officer Kumcur in the head causing a deep graze wound. Officer Kumcur continued to fire his weapon as Washington remained next to the driver’s side window armed with his gun.
“Officer Shoop was in the middle of the crossfire exchange,” the narrative says, “and was struck in the head by a bullet that Officer Kumcur fired in response to Washington shooting at them inside their police unit.”
According to the charging document filed by the King County Prosecutor’s Office Friday, Washington’s actions caused the death of Officer Shoop.
Washington was armed with a 9mm handgun “he wasn’t legally permitted to carry,” according to the prosecutor’s case summary, which is part of the court documents.
“His hostility towards the victim officers was apparent to a nearby witness who heard Mr. Washington yell, “come on pigs” as he quickly advanced on the officers with his gun in his hand,” the summary says.
“But for Mr. Washington’s directed attack on the officers,” the prosecutor’s office asserts, “Officer Shoop would be alive today.”
That statement was signed by Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mary H. Barbosa.
In Detective Fontenot’s narrative, Washington “instinctively” opened fire because he “believed the officer was armed and going to shoot him and he wanted to be ‘first’ before they could get him.”
Washington struck a pedestrian with his car while trying to speed away from the Bothell officers. According to Fontenot’s report, “Washington stated once his vehicle struck the pedestrian he was acting in self-defense because ‘they’ made him drive away from the traffic stop, thus striking the ‘babies’ and causing him to get his gun from under the seat of his car…He stated he got out of his car as the Bothell Police vehicle approached him, Washington stated he ‘racked a round into the chamber and fired his gun into the Bothell Police vehicle.”
He said the handgun was his, a 9 mm Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol. He allegedly admitted having smoked marijuana “in the short time before thi incident and stated it did not affect his ability to understand.”
According to the prosecutor’s office, Washington “appears to have few ties to Washington State,” but he does have “many prior criminal convictions in Texas and Kansas” with a record in Texas dating back to 1997
