TACOMA, Wash. — A Pierce County judge ruled Monday that a 16-year-old accused of shooting a police officer in Tacoma could be charged as an adult.
The ruling stems from a shooting last August when a Tacoma police officer was conducting an emphasis patrol on recovering stolen vehicles. He encountered two 15-year-olds at the time suspected of stealing a car.
At the time, the detective who was shot was wearing a ballistic vest and sitting inside an unmarked vehicle near the apartments. He went toward the back of the apartment and told investigators he saw one suspect run across the roadway in front of him. The other suspect approached the roadway and pulled out what appeared to be a revolver.
Through an open window, the detective said something to the effect of, “Don’t shoot me.” The suspect fired at the detective, hitting him in the right shoulder through the passenger window, according to probable cause documents.
While police were searching for the teens, the suspect accused of shooting the detective called his father asking to be picked up. The teen sent his father a pin of his location, and the father contacted the police.
Police found the teens hiding under a deck near South 95th Street and South Alaska Street. Surveillance footage showed the teens climbed over the fence and crawled under the deck, according to probable cause documents.
The Hyundai was an unreported stolen vehicle, according to police. The registered owner did not know it was missing at the time of the shooting.
The teen who ran away was charged with unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and obstructing a law enforcement officer. He plead guilty in November.
"The one thing I will say about this, based on the information that was shared it was very unfortunate, that this entire incident even happened to begin with,” said William Muse, Tacoma Police Department spokesperson. “And going forth from here, hoping for the best for everybody that's involved in this matter."
No new proceedings were scheduled for the teen accused of shooting the officer. But this will now go to adult court and the teen will continue to be held at Remann Hall, the juvenile detention center.
KING 5 does not name juveniles when they are charged with crimes.