TUMWATER, Wash. — Officers shot a man after employees were held hostage at the Jack In The Box in Tumwater, according to the Thurston County Sheriff.
Police told KIRO 7 News' Essex Porter that a man entered Jack in Box on Trosper Road before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and he was holding a knife at the throat of one employee.
The man was reportedly holding a total of three employees hostages.
When police entered the restaurant, the suspect refused to comply with the order to drop the knife, according to police.
"Once the victim was able to break away from the suspect, officers verbally gave him commands, and shot him," said Det. Jen Kolb with Tumwater Police. "[They were ordering him] to put down the knife."
"He had taken someone hostage and it was a life or death situation at that point," she said.
The suspect was taken first to a nearby hospital, but he was then sent to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he is in surgery.
Employees comforted one another in the parking lot as police investigated on Tuesday evening.
A witness told KIRO 7's Henry Rosoff that he was nearby at a traffic light when the shooting happened, and he saw an officer go into the backdoor of the restaurant. The witness said he then heard three shots.
>> Henry Rosoff is following the investigation for KIRO 7 News at 11 p.m.
According to the witness another officer ran around and also went through the backdoor with a shotgun.
Officers will be placed on routine administrative leave while shooting is investigated. Stay wth kirotv.com for updates on this developing story.