Man shot by officers during traffic stop in Federal Way

Federal Way police are investigating an officer-involved shooting Thursday evening.

The incident happened in the 1800 block of South 333rd Street.

Police said officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at The Commons Mall.

>>PHOTOS: Police respond to officer-involved shooting in Federal Way. 

A suspect vehicle description was provided, and officers located the vehicle as it left the area.

Police said as officers were conducting a traffic stop, a person in the vehicle shot at the officers.

“I'd probably say at least seven (gunshots) it was pop pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pow,” said Jewel McAuliffe, who lives near where the shooting happened.

“I was sitting on my chair and we heard like a clatter of da, da, da, da. There was about eight of them” said Tino Garcia, who also lives in the neighborhood. “And in the next minute, minute in a half, two minutes, we heard pow, pow, pow you heard some more, eight more,” he said.

The shootout between Federal Way Police and a 27-year-old man had people taking cover.
"I said oh my goodness sakes. I said stay inside," Garcia said.

Police say it all started with an armed robbery at the Macy’s at the Commons. A maroon van was described as the suspect's vehicle. Officers pulled the van over in a traffic stop less than a mile away.

That's when police say the 27-year-old, who was a passenger, started shooting.  Three officers fired back. Some of the shots hit the 27-year-old, and he was taken to Harborview Medical Center. Police did not release his condition or the extent of his injuries.

They also arrested two other men who were also in the suspect’s vehicle – a driver and another passenger.

At least one home got caught in the crossfire.

“I live exactly where the incident happened. A couple of stray bullets went through our wall,” said Ren Underwood, who was stuck outside her home for hours. She said her partner was home sleeping.

“It went through one room and came out the living room,” Underwood said. Luckily, he wasn't hit.

The three officers involved will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.

No officers were injured, and the investigation remains ongoing – headed by a third-party, the Valley Investigation Team.

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