Man dead after gunfight with police at Kent apartment building

KENT, Wash. — A man is dead after an apparent shootout with police at a Kent apartment building where the suspect took his own life.

Around 12:40 a.m. Wednesday, Kent Police officers were called to a report at least six gunshots fired in the 100 block of Madison Avenue.

Shell casings laid out on the ground for much of the morning, right in front of Dan Desmet’s home. He remembers hearing several separate shots, followed by three rapid-fire gunshots.

“I could hear it distinctly,” Desmet said., “I got up and looked out the window but didn’t see anything.”

Desmet said several officers arrived quickly. Kent Police claim that after its officers arrived, “they heard more gunshots that were believed to have been fired at them. One officer returned fire towards the suspect who was on an upper story of the building at the location.”

Four bullet holes could be seen by KIRO 7 crews below a window on the top floor of a seven-story Madison Plaza apartment building. Ravneet Sandhu lives two floors below the unit where bullet holes were located.

“I did hear something that sounded like a gunshot and a freaked out,” Sandhu said. “I got up and I went to almost look out my window, but for some reason I had a gut feeling to not look out and I went back to bed.”

As officers searched the building, they detained a person who told them that their brother, who police believe to be the suspected shooter, had shot himself inside an upper-floor apartment.

Police went to the unit and gave the man medical help until medics arrived. But despite medics’ efforts to save the man’s life, the 34-year-old died from his wounds.

“It’s just really sad what happened,” Sandhu said, “I think I’ve heard gunshots before but not this close. It happened in my apartment building.”

A shell casing was seen on the ground and investigators were seen looking for evidence under cars and in bushes.

The Valley Independent Investigative Team will conduct the investigation with the Port of Seattle police leading the investigation.

No officers were hurt.

The officer who fired his gun will be placed on administrative leave during the investigation, which is standard protocol.

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