UPDATE: August 12 at 3:40 p.m.
The Washington State Patrol announced in a press release that anyone who witnessed the incident or has video footage of the shooting or events leading up to the shooting is urged to come forward.
Witnesses can contact Detective Lockwood at (509) 249-6743, Detective Stairet at (509) 249-6720, or the Washington State Patrol tip line at (509) 249-6742 for more information or to provide tips.
UPDATE: August 11 at 5:45 p.m.
The alleged driver in the police pursuit made his first court appearance in Yakima County Superior Court today.
Ismael Sanchez Morales, 33, faces multiple charges including attempting to elude police, assault in the second degree for striking police vehicles, harming a police dog, driving under the influence, resisting arrest and obstructing law enforcement.
Court documents said Morales struck several Yakima Police Department (YPD) vehicles before his vehicle was disabled.
Video from YPD dash cameras showed Morales resisting arrest and assaulting a police K9 by placing it in a chokehold, court documents said.
The passenger in the vehicle then reportedly shot at YPD officers, who returned fire, resulting in the passenger’s death.
Morales had exited the vehicle before the shooting and was taken into custody.
When contacted at the hospital, Morales displayed signs of intoxication, including a strong odor of alcohol, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, court documents said.
A search warrant for Morales’ blood was obtained, and samples were sent to the Washington State Toxicologist for testing. Morales later explained he fled because he was scared and unaware of the situation, court documents added.
Bail has been set at $500,000. Morales’ arraignment is scheduled for August 25.
YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Police Department held a press conference late last night to provide details on two shootings that occurred in the city.
The first incident took place Saturday afternoon around 2:40 p.m. near the 1200 block of West Washington Avenue. Yakima Police Department responded to reports of gunfire at the location.
“When officers arrived, they located two gunshot victims. One of the victims, a 33-year-old female from the community, succumbed to her injuries. At the scene there, a 13-year-old juvenile male was also struck by gunfire during that incident and was treated and released at a local hospital shortly after the event occurred,” said Captain Chad Janis with the Yakima Police Department.
Captain Janis explained that the first shooting stemmed from a domestic violence incident.
“The female had encountered her current or former intimate partner who was armed with a firearm, had presented the firearm and shot into the vehicle, striking the victim who then crashed their car,” Captain Janis stated.
The police department used the Flock system, a license plate reader installed at various intersections, to track down the suspect’s vehicle later that day. Janis described the events that followed.
“We were able to locate the vehicle driving down Yakima Avenue and at approximately 7:35 this evening as well, where the Yakima Avenue was having a cruise night this evening. So the avenue was full of cars and people. Officers were quickly able to go to the area that the vehicle was located. They found it near First Street and Yakima when they attempted to stop the vehicle, immediately fled from multiple police officers,” said Captain Janis,
A pursuit ensued, during which officers used pursuit intervention techniques to disable the vehicle near Third Street and Yakima Avenue. Captain Janis noted there were two people in the vehicle—a driver and a front passenger.
“The driver of the vehicle was removed from the vehicle and then as a result of his combativeness, a police K-9 was used to take him into custody while attempting to take the driver into custody, gun shots were fired from inside the vehicle to outside the vehicle where police officers were by the passenger who was in the front passenger seat. Officers immediately returned fire, discharging their law enforcement firearms, at which point the passenger inside the vehicle was killed as a result,” he said.
Captain Janis confirmed that the passenger killed was the suspect in the first shooting earlier in the day. An officer with six years of service was struck in his extremities during the incident. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Yakima Valley Multicare and has since been released.
In accordance with Yakima Police policy, the officers who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative leave pending a preliminary review of the investigation. The incident is under investigation by the Yakima Valley Special Investigations Unit.
ORIGINAL COVERAGE: August 10 at 6:30 p.m.
