Community honors slain state trooper on 1-year anniversary

BREMERTON, Wash. — The Washington State Patrol unveiled a monument Friday morning for Trooper Tony Radulescu.

The memorial was at the Washington State Patrol district office in Bremerton.

Trooper Russ Winger told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Jeff Dubois that many people from the State Patrol, fire and rescue crews and Radulescu’s family and friends attended the memorial.

Saturday marks the first year anniversary of the day when Radulescu was fatally shot.

Investigators said Radulescu pulled over a truck on State Route 16 in Gorst around 1 a.m. and radioed dispatch to notify them about the stop.

When State Patrol did not hear back from Radulescu, a Kitsap County deputy went to check up on him and found him slumped over the wheel of his patrol car, shot.

According to police, the suspect, Joshua Blake, fled the scene in his truck.

Radulescu was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and died from his injuries.

When authorities found Blake’s truck in the 4200 block of Sidney Road in Port Orchard, officers searched the area for him. When they closed in on him at his home, officers heard a single gunshot and found Blake inside with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Blake was taken to Tacoma General Hospital, where he died.

Six people were later arrested in connection with the shooting.

KIRO