Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs condemns recent police ambushes

Two officer targeted shooting were reported last week in South King County.

Steven Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs, issued a statement calling the recent ambushes on law enforcement officers in South King County “abhorrent,” “significant,” and something that should be “condemned by all.”

In the space of just four days, between Sept. 3 and Sept. 7, in two separate incidents just miles apart in South King County, law enforcement officers, in full uniform and in marked police vehicles, were reportedly ambushed and multiple rounds fired at them while waiting in traffic.

Strachan says these incidents didn’t just target law enforcement, they also put innocent members of the public at risk.

“Attacks on law enforcement should always be taken seriously by the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of our government,” Strachan wrote. “The men and women who put their lives on the line everyday for our safety deserve nothing less.”

Two suspects were arrested in the Renton incident and the investigation continues for suspects in the other incident in Federal Way. The King County Prosecutor’s request for high bail for both subjects was not accepted by the court.

Federal Way Police are searching for a 2004 silver G35 Infiniti with Washington license plate BYT3646. The suspect is described as a thin or lanky Black man.

At the time of the Federal Way incident, the Infiniti vehicle was stolen from a dealer lot in Fife, according to the department. Officers have been in contact with the registered owner, who has fully cooperated with the investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Federal Way Police Department at 253-835-2121.