/Washington cop was accidentally shot, killed by training officer during traffic stop

Washington cop was accidentally shot, killed by training officer during traffic stop

Jonathan Shoop was killed in Bothell, Washington, earlier this week.

The Bothell, Washington, student police officer who was killed earlier this week died as a result of an accidental shooting by his training officer, officials announced Friday.

Jonathan Shoop, 32, was fatally shot during a traffic stop on July 13. Shoop, who had been with the department for only a year, was with Mustafa Kumcur when they pulled over a Pontiac G6 without a license plate at about 9:40 p.m.

The driver, Henry Eugene Washington, initially cooperated with police before fleeing about a minute into the officers’ conversation with the suspect, according to the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team. The suspect crashed into a person on a scooter and slammed into the center median a short time later.

As the officers arrived on the scene in their patrol car, Washington allegedly opened fire on them with a pistol, police said.

The 37-year-old suspect allegedly fired two shots into the police car with one shattering the window and another ricocheting off Kumcur’s service weapon and striking him in the head.

Kumcur, who was in the passenger seat, fired his weapon “multiple times” with one bullet striking and killing Shoop, his trainee, the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team said in a press release Friday afternoon.

Evan Shoop, Jonathan’s brother, spoke to ABC News on Friday and said he does not blame Kumcur for the accident.

“Honestly, it doesn’t change very much for me, that specific detail, it’s simply another detail and it’s a tragic situation,” Evan Shoop said. “Jonny spoke very highly of his training officer and he loved his training officer, and so do I. So I don’t really have anything more to say about it than that.”

He said if Washington hadn’t allegedly fired first, there would have been no gunfight.

“It’s a pretty deliberate action,” Evan Shoop said. “I think the actions kind of speak for themselves at this point.”

Washington has been charged with aggravated first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder and vehicular assault. He is being held without bond and will be arraigned on Aug. 3.

“The important thing for me is that this training officer is going through a lot and this is a well-respected person,” Evan Shoop told ABC News. “Jonny has spoken incredibly highly of this individual. I don’t see anything more that needs to be said than that. We’re hurting for him, too.”

Kumcur was treated and released from the hospital.

Washington allegedly called a 911 call center in Kansas to tell his family he had killed a police officer while fleeing on foot, police said. He became stuck trying to get off a roof and was taken into custody without incident. A gun was recovered from Washington.

“The fact that Mr. Washington did not fire the fatal shot is immaterial to his culpability in this crime,” King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Mary Barbosa wrote in charging documents. “But for Mr. Washington’s directed attack on the officers, Officer Shoop would be alive today.”

Shoop’s brother said he wants the training officer “to know that we’re thinking about him and that we love him. We don’t view this chaotic situation as his fault.”

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