Update: At the charging Friday, July 17, it was revealed in court documents that the suspect arrested and charged for the murder did not fatally shoot Bothell Officer Jonathan Shoop. The officer was shot in crossfire from his fellow officer involved in the gunfight. Updated story available here.
A man accused of killing one police officer and wounding another was found hiding on a nearby rooftop and arrested early Tuesday, police said.
Police identified the fallen officer as Jonathan Shoop, 32, who began his police career in Bothell just over one year ago.
Shoop tried to stop a car along westbound Highway 522 around 9:40 p.m. Monday. After a short car chase, the black sedan hit a pedestrian, crashed through the center median and stopped in the 10300 block of Woodinville Drive.
“Gunfire was exchanged and it was reported that one person ran from the vehicle,” officer Aaron Snell, wrote in press release on behalf of the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team, the regional agency investigating the incident. “As additional officers arrived, they found two Bothell Police officers had been shot.”
A tweet from the Bothell Fire Department had confirmed around 11 p.m. that two Bothell officers were “down” following a pursuit. Bothell police Capt. Mike Johnson later announced one of them was killed. Shoop’s body was transported to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office in an early morning police procession.
Jonathan Shoop (Bothell Police Department)
The second officer suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was initially listed in satisfactory condition. That officer was treated and released by Tuesday morning.
The pedestrian also was transported to Harborview, where he was listed in satisfactory condition.
Meanwhile, for most of the night, Bothell police said they were searching for a man who was armed and wearing a gray tanktop and baggy sweatpants. They eventually found him nearby, police said: “Subject was located hiding on a rooftop near the scene.”
He was arrested around 3:20 a.m. He was expected to be booked into the Snohomish County Jail on Tuesday.
Condolences poured in from police departments across the country.
In a tweet, Bothell City Councilman Mason Thompson said he was “heartbroken.”
“My prayers are with the officers who have been shot and their families,” Thompson said.
Detectives with the multiple agency response team — better known as SMART — are investigating. SMART is a team of detectives from various Snohomish County law enforcement agencies, who investigate police uses of deadly force.
When the SMART investigation is complete, results will be forwarded to the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Throughout the day, people came to the plaza outside Bothell City Hall where they stopped by to pay tribute, placing flowers and balloons atop and alongside a police patrol car.
Supportive messages — “Your sacrifice will not be forgotten,” “Our hearts are with you,” “We stand with you Bothell PD” — were written on the pavement in chalk. Hundreds of supportive messages also were posted in social media posts Tuesday.
Arjun Subbarao brought his son Niles, 6, to see the memorial a block from his home.
“Last night we woke up with all the sirens going on,” Subbarao said. “It’s kind of traumatic because we’ve never had this happen here.”
He was hesitant to bring his son at first.
“We were a little skeptical about telling him what happened but then I thought he should know because I don’t think he should be afraid of police,” the father said. “They’re here to protect and serve and he needs to empathize with police and see that it is real what is happening and sad.”
He said Niles was still trying to internalize it all.
Jennifer Sciarrino and Amy Crawford, friends and coworkers, decided to visit the memorial over their lunch break. Sciarrino said she wanted to show her respect for the fallen officer and said it was a reminder of how law enforcement put their lives on the line each day.
“We as a society need to recognize that and remember that,” said Sciarrino, who has lived in the city for more than 20 years.
She said she never expected something like this to happen in her hometown. Looking at the news, she said she worried for everyone.
“I’m in fear for our law enforcement, I’m in fear for our Black community, I’m in fear for everything right now. It’s hard to know what to do.”
The city’s police chief, Ken Seuberlich, penned a letter to Bothell residents last month, in the wake of the death of George Floyd and nationwide protests against police brutality. He wrote that Bothell police would stand side by side with protesters.
“The fact is, Law Enforcement must do better,” the chief wrote. “We as Law Enforcement must own our mistakes and work hard every day to ensure we are earning the authority we have been given. To be frank, it starts with hiring the right people. The Bothell Police Department excels at this through a rigorous background process, which seeks out empathetic, caring people who have a desire to make a difference.”
Shoop served in the U.S. Coast Guard before taking a position in Bothell. He’s survived by his significant other, his mother and two brothers.
“Jonathan was a dedicated officer who served the City of Bothell with compassion … (and) was well liked amongst his peers and throughout the community,” his police department said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. “Officer Jonathan Shoop will be dearly missed.”
Herald reporter Eric Stevick contributed to this story. The Associated Press also contributed.
People place flowers at a memorial Tuesday in front of Bothell City Hall for a Bothell police officer who was killed Monday night. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
A rosary hangs from a Bothell Police Department vehicle door handle on Tuesday in Bothell. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Tony Mandeville places a bouquet of flowers on the windshield of a Bothell Police Department vehicle that was turned into a memorial Tuesday in front of Bothell City Hall. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
