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Man injured in officer-involved shooting on Bainbridge Island

A man who was involved in a police chase is in critical condition after being shot by a Bainbridge police officer Tuesday afternoon.
The shooting occurred on Winslow Way near Madison Avenue in downtown Bainbridge around 2 p.m. A man in a gray Ford Mustang was shot once after repeatedly being told to drop his knife, multiple witnesses said.

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Investigators say the incident began as an overdose call near Ordway Elementary School. A woman was overdosing and officers were able to successfully revive her using Narcan. She had been with the suspect, who took off in the car. Bainbridge police couldn't elaborate on why a chase ensued because this is an ongoing investigation.

Police say the suspect fled at a high rate of speed. A Bainbridge Police officer along with a Kitsap County Sheriff's deputy were able to box him in on Winslow Way, officials said.

Emmet Freeman was feet away when an officer fired two shots into the suspect's car. In his cell phone video of the shooting, two gunshots are heard. Officers proceeded to drag the suspect, who was screaming, out of the vehicle. Freeman said the screams were "blood curling."

The man was flown to Harborview. The extent of his injuries is unknown.

"I personally witnessed the guy trying to exit the vehicle and that's when the shots were fired," Freeman says, "I heard them say 'drop the knife, drop the knife.'"

Clarence Moriwaki lives across the street and witnessed the tense confrontation in the street.

"This could have injured people," he said. "The car was almost on the sidewalk and there could have been people walking."

Moriwaki said officers did an excellent job pinning the suspect's car so he couldn't get out of the car.

"When I first heard the crash, you could see that the car was trying to get away from the police officer," Moriwaki said.

Some residents didn't know what to think of the officer-involved shooting because there was an active shooter drill in Bainbridge Tuesday afternoon. Many people didn't know if the shooting was a part of that.

"I came up to a restaurant here and they told me it was just a drill," resident Shannon Wing said. "It was going on at City Hall and the shooting happened right after that. I think everyone was a little thrown off."

Residents said they were especially confused because these types of crimes are rare in the area.

"This is something that you just don't expect especially in a quiet place like Bainbridge Island," Moriwaki said.

The suspect's identity has not been released. Investigators say, his female companion is alive following the overdose.

This is the second officer involved shooting on Bainbridge Island within one year. The last one occurred in July 2017.

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