A firefighter has been released from hospital after being shot while responding to a report of an unconscious person in a vehicle at an Albertsons car park in Renton, Washington.
Renton police said officers were called to the site on Northeast Sunset Boulevard shortly before 8.30pm on Thursday, 5 November, to assist firefighters. As they arrived, they heard a gunshot and found that a firefighter had been hit.
Officers returned fire and shot dead the suspect at the scene, according to police. The circumstances leading up to the shooting, including whether the man fired at officers, remain under investigation.
The firefighter was taken to Harborview Medical Centre and was discharged on Friday. Renton Regional Fire Authority said he was in stable condition and asked that his privacy, and that of his family, be respected.
The incident took place in the Albertsons and Planet Fitness car park in the 4600 block of Northeast Sunset Boulevard. Witnesses reported seeing a white van with a shattered window at the scene.
The officer-involved shooting is being investigated by the Valley Independent Investigative Team, with Auburn Police Department serving as the lead agency.
Renton firefighters described the incident as a serious danger to emergency crews and praised police for their response, saying it helped prevent further injuries to members of the public or other first responders.
