EVERETT, Wash. — A Washington state police officer was fatally shot Friday afternoon, and a suspect in his death was arrested north of Seattle in Everett, authorities said.
Everett police in a news release identified the slain officer as 41-year-old Dan Rocha. He was shot and killed after an altercation with a 50-year-old man who was acting suspicious in a Starbucks parking lot, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Courtney O’Keefe said in a news release.
George LaBauve, who lives in a nearby apartment, said he heard gunshots around 2:15 p.m, the Daily Herald reported. He saw a uniformed officer’s body on the ground in the Starbucks parking lot, the newspaper reported. LaBauve said he saw someone tuck a gun away and flee in a car.
Police located the suspect vehicle and pursued it, according to O’Keefe. The pursuit ended in the collision, and the suspect was taken into custody without incident, O’Keefe said.
The suspect was transported to the hospital for a medical evaluation. When he is released, he will be booked into the Snohomish County Jail, police said.
There were brief lockdowns during the incident at Everett Community College and at Washington State University Everett.
Everett police released a statement Friday evening about Rocha, who had been an Everett resident for over a decade.
“He served the City of Everett as a patrol officer in North Everett for most of his career and was well respected by both the community and his fellow officers,” the statement said. “His loss will forever leave a void in our agency and our community.”
The statement said Rocha is survived by his wife and two sons. It asked people to “keep his family in your thoughts during this extremely difficult time.”
Rocha began serving the city as a parking enforcement officer in 2017, then became a fully commissioned officer in 2018.
“Our department members are appreciative for the support that our community and fellow law enforcement agencies have shown us during this time,” the statement said.
Police said the Snohomish County Multi Agency Response Team would be investigating.
