Armed man fatally shot by police after allegedly ramming Seattle federal building with truck

Multiple officers from the Seattle Police Department (SPD) fatally shot an armed suspect who allegedly fired a rifle and rammed his vehicle into a Seattle federal building on Saturday night, according to authorities.

Officers arrived on scene to find the man had crashed his vehicle into the Marion Street federal building. Officers attempted to speak to the man, but he opened fire,  according to SPD.

Police returned fire and the suspect was killed. Seattle Police Officers and Seattle Fire Department Medics attempted to provide medical aid, but the suspect died at the scene.

According to SPD, "People began calling 911 around 8:10 pm to report the sounds of gunshots near the intersection of 1 Avenue and Yesler Street as well as the 100 block of Marion Street."

The gunshots sent bystanders running for cover. Some restaurants reportedly hid customers in their basements

The Force Investigation Team, as well as representatives from the city's Office of Police Accountability and the Office of Inspector General have launched an investigation into the incident.

There were 612 shootings and shots-fired incidents in Seattle in 2021, almost double its annual average before the pandemic. Seattle’s murder rate jumped above the US average in 2020 for the first time in more than 10 years. Shootings have occurred all across King County, which has had a similar spike in gunfire incidents.

Approximately 360 officers left SPD over the last two years, leaving under 900 officers in the department. Experts have stated that the minimum number of officers required to adequately maintain safety in the city is between 1,200 and 1,400, leaving SPD hundreds of officers short.