Crime

Brazen shooting at Tacoma Public Schools HQ narrowly misses school patrol officer

A suspect points a gun at an occupied school patrol officer’s vehicle in the parking lot of the Tacoma Public Schools Office Thursday.
A suspect points a gun at an occupied school patrol officer’s vehicle in the parking lot of the Tacoma Public Schools Office Thursday. Tacoma Police

A Tacoma Public Schools patrol officer narrowly escaped getting shot Thursday when someone fired a gun at him in the district headquarters parking lot in downtown Tacoma.

Tacoma Police said the officer was in a marked vehicle in the 600 block of South Eighth Street when a silver SUV slowly drove by him. The SUV stopped about 10 feet behind the officer’s vehicle.

That’s when the suspect exited the passenger side of the SUV, armed with a handgun. He walked to the rear of the patrol car, raised the pistol and fired into the vehicle as the officer sped away, Tacoma Police spokesperson Detective William Muse said.

“The shot narrowly missed the School Patrol Officer,” Tacoma Police said in a statement.

After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene in the SUV. The vehicle was last seen at South Seventh Street and Tacoma Avenue South.

Tacoma Police ask anyone with information to leave a tip with Tacoma Pierce County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS or to use the P3tips.com app. Tips can be anonymous.

This story was originally published July 19, 2024 at 4:16 PM.

Craig Sailor
The News Tribune
Craig Sailor has worked for The News Tribune since 1998 as a writer, editor and photographer. He previously worked at The Olympian and at other newspapers in Nevada and California. He has a degree in journalism from San Jose State University.
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