Store clerk shot while trying to break up fight, Tacoma police say

A convenience store worker in Tacoma’s South End was shot early Friday afternoon while trying to break up a fight in the parking lot, according to Tacoma police.

Officers were dispatched just after 2 p.m. to the 8200 block of Pacific Avenue, police spokeswoman Loretta Cool said.

The 49-year-old employee was shot once in the leg and taken to an area hospital for treatment, Cool said. The wound is not believed to be life-threatening.

“The employee stepped out of the store to break up the confrontation just as they started shooting and he got shot accidentally,” Cool said.

The 15-year-old gunman fled on foot and was arrested nearby, Cool said. The two other people involved in the shooting fled in a vehicle.

“It’s not too far-fetched to think this one’s solvable,” Cool said. “We had a bunch of witnesses, and there’s probably a bunch of good surveillance video.”

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

This story was originally published January 5, 2018 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Store clerk shot while trying to break up fight, Tacoma police say."