KENT, Wash. — The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that second-degree felony murder charges have been filed against the 16-year-old driver of the red pickup truck that was involved in the death of Kent Police Officer Diego Moreno.
Officer Moreno was killed in the line of duty while laying spike strips in an attempt to slow the truck and was hit by another patrol vehicle who was in pursuit of the car.
The state alleges that the occupants of the truck -- the driver and the two other passengers -- illegally possessed several guns and fired off numerous rounds in a parking lot, before fleeing and attempting to evade the police.
The other two juvenile passengers are charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and one is also charged for possession of controlled substances.
All three defendants appeared in King County Juvenile Court on Monday.
This comes hours before a community gathered in the evening to honor Officer Moreno.
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A Kent police officer was killed in the line of duty Sunday morning in a crash during pursuit of a suspect on State Route 516.
Another police officer was seriously injured.
Family and friends confirmed on Sunday to KIRO 7's Deborah Horne that the Kent officer killed was Officer Diego Moreno. A GoFundMe account has been set up for Moreno's family.
Police were pursuing a suspect in a red truck, which witnesses identified as being involved in a shooting Sunday morning, near Shari’s Restaurant.
Officers chased the truck on westbound State Route 516 near Meeker Street. At one point, the vehicle made a U-turn and sped off.
While deploying spike strips, Officer Moreno was hit by a responding officer pursuing the suspect's vehicle - the red truck.
After the collision, the officer driving the patrol vehicle went on to crash into three cars parked nearby. Three bystanders suffered minor injuries in initial collision.
The officer involved in the crash was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, officials said.
Harborview Medical Center spokesperson Barbara Clements confirmed that he is in satisfactory condition as of Monday morning.
Officials said the vehicle being pursued later crashed near State Route 167 and one person was arrested. WSP said they believe two other people inside the vehicle ran from the scene.
The two additional suspects were later arrested and all three suspects are now in custody.
Kent police said Officer Moreno was an eight-year veteran of the department. In his time on the force, he received two Lifesaving Awards and two Exceptional Duty Awards. He is survived by his wife and two young children.
The injured officer is an 18-year veteran of the Kent Police Department and is currently recovering from severe injuries. His name will be released at a later date.
A post on the department's Facebook page reads, “his contributions to our department, and positive impact on his co-workers and the community, have been significant.”
The city is hosting a community vigil on Wednesday to honor Officer Moreno. The vigil will take place at 7 p.m. in Town Square Plaza in downtown Kent, near Second and Harrison Streets.
On Monday night, TV host Mike Rowe shared a note on Facebook about the time when he met Officer Moreno.
Police and fire agencies around Washington state shared their sympathies Sunday with the Kent Police Department. >> See thoughts shared with the department here.
Video below from the City of Kent shows Officer Moreno talking about police work.
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