Mercer Island, Washington police shoot man in stolen police car
MERCER ISLAND - Police on Mercer Island shot one man and are searching the island for another after the pair stole a patrol car and tried to run down an officer early Tuesday morning.
Police say it all started about 2:15 a.m. when a Mercer Island police officer tried to pull over a car that was driving erratically on Interstate 90. The driver refused to stop and continued to Seattle before turning around and heading back towards Mercer Island on the freeway.
The driver finally stopped when he was unable to enter the express lanes near the Mount Baker tunnel.
When the officer approached the car, one of the two men inside got out and started fighting with him. The second man then stole the officer's patrol car and tried to run down the officer.
Mercer Island Police Sergeant Lance Davenport said the officer shot out the tires of his patrol car as both men fled in the vehicle.
The fleeing men only made it about a quarter mile before being stopped again by police near the intersection of 77th Avenue SE and North Mercer Way.
Davenport said that's when one of the men was shot twice by police. The second man ran away and police are searching the island trying to locate him.
The man shot by police was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with wounds that are believed to be non-life threatening.
No police officers were injured and the I-90 express lanes were shut down for several hours Tuesday morning while police investigated. They were reopened just before 9 a.m.