Kent PD defends decisions in undercover sting operation

KENT, Wash. — An undercover sting operation targeting illegal gun sales ended in a shootout between undercover officers and two suspects in Kent. It all played out in the parking lot of a Lowe’s parking lot along Pacific Highway in Kent around 5 PM Friday.

The joint operation was run between the Kent Police Department and the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms) Seattle. Both agencies defended the operation, even though it ended in gunfire in full view of shoppers and employees of the various stores surrounding the Lowe’s parking lot.

The action started in a corner of the parking lot next to a strip mall housing a Starbucks And Domino’s Pizza as well as other businesses.

Authorities say the suspects pulled up in one car and met with two undercover officers.

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Andrew Peterson works in a business near the shooting scene, and says that crime has happened in the area around the Lowe’s but Friday’s events were unique, “when you work on Pac (Pacific) Highway in Des Moines you kind of brace yourself for certain things that could happen at any point in time but you never start your day thinking that this is how it's going to end.”

Peterson said that he told workers to stay inside, while he checked out the action from the rear door of the building. He saw police converge on the scene once shots were fired.

Jonathan Blais is Assistant Special Agent in Charge with the ATF and did confirm at the scene that the agency was involved in this operation with the Kent Police Department, “ATF does investigate firearms and illegal firearms so it's part of our standard protocol.”

Blais did not say whether the operation is part of a much larger effort in Southern King County. Neither Blais nor Kent’s police chief, Ken Thomas said whether the suspects were part of some larger gang. They would only say that the two suspects were involved in illegal gun sales.

Thomas said the undercover officers opened fire when the suspects tried to rob them. One suspect was hit by gunfire, the other took off across the Pacific highway and was hit by a passing driver.

Thomas said the officers could have fired on the suspect who ran, but didn't since it would have meant firing into a crowded stretch of road, “their backdrop was a metro bus and other citizens. They showed great restraint in looking out for the community much more so than the bad guys in a car with guns trying to rob people.”

The officers were not hurt, and the suspects were taken into custody and transported to area hospitals. During his briefing with the media, Chief Thomas said that the area around his jurisdiction is averaging 58 shootings a month, so operations targeting illegal gun sales are needed. He says the public was never in real danger; and officers don't have the luxury of telling suspects where to meet, “we have to go where the bad guys are selling guns and doing those operations.

Investigators remained on scene in the Lowe’s Parking lot well into Friday evening, marking the scene around the car where the incident began, taking photos and collecting evidence.

Chief Thomas did say that guns were recovered and no one else was hurt as a result of the operation.

The suspect that was hit by gunfire did suffer life-threatening injuries and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Cox Media Group