Seattle Police Shooting: Video Shows Officers Firing At Car In 2 Separate Volleys

SEATTLE, WA - Video released Tuesday of a Seattle police officer-involved shooting in Eastlake shows a confrontation that escalated quickly and involved two separate rounds of shooting. The videos, recorded on police car dashcams and body cameras worn by three officers, shows officers aggressively approach a black Subaru with rifles and handguns drawn. About 6 seconds pass between the time the first officer leaves the vehicle and when the shooting starts.

The officers had gone to the 2200 block of Yale Avenue East Sunday night to investigate a report of suspicious activity involving people in a black Subaru and possibly a weapon. When officers pull up, a woman can be seen standing in front of the Subaru. She then moves out of sight behind another vehicle. Suddenly, a man runs to the front of the car to close the hood.

One officer gets out of a police car with a rifle drawn and yells, "Pull the car, pull the car." That same officer then runs up and stands in front of the Subaru with his rifle pointed at the windshield.

The Subaru then lurches forward and into the officer holding the rifle. The officer is put off balance by the car, but he does not appear to fall on the ground. Another officer standing south of the car approaches and opens fire with a handgun. The officer who was hit by the car regains his balance and starts firing his rifle, shooting into the driver's side window from a few feet away.

After an initial volley of shots, the car stops and so does the shooting. An officer yells "Get on the ground," but when the car starts driving away, the officers resume firing. In between shots, a woman can be heard moaning or screaming.

The officers who fired their guns were identified as Kenneth Martin and Tabitha Sexton. The Seattle Times on Tuesday reported the department had opened a criminal investigation into the shooting. The department's Force Investigation Team is also looking into the incident.

Although it appears police fired more than a dozen shots, Seattle police said Tuesday, "There is no indication at this time of any serious injury to the occupants of the vehicle, but the department continues to work to locate the vehicle occupants for interviews."

Police also released audio of the 911 call that brought officers to the alley. The caller tells a dispatcher he saw people possibly smoking out of a glass pipe, and may have seen someone unloading a .38 handgun.

"I clearly see one of those glass bowl pipes, one of those meth pipes," the caller says. The caller also identifies the car as a gray Volkswagen Jetta - the car was a black Subaru Impreza.

Police found the damaged Subaru in North Seattle on Monday but still have not located the occupants.

Image via YouTube.com