Cops shoot, kill person suspected of holding people hostage

ALGONA, Wash. (AP) — Two SWAT officers shot and killed a person who had held three people hostage for several hours Monday in a home south of Auburn, police said.

Algona police said in a news release that officers responded Monday afternoon to a residence because of reports of a hostage situation, The Seattle Times reported.

Police said the suspect was reportedly armed and in apparent violation of a no-contact court order. Officers tried to contact a female hostage and were fired upon by the suspect as they tried to free the woman and the two others, police said. The officers retreated and called for backup.

Officers from multiple nearby cities helped set up a perimeter, police said, while a behavioral unit and hostage negotiation team arrived for negotiations, police said.

After several hours, police said the Valley SWAT team was able to rescue the three hostages, according to police.

Shortly after, police said officers encountered the suspect, and two SWAT officers, from the Kent and Des Moines police departments, shot and killed the person police said. No one else was hurt, according to police.

No other information about the suspect or what prompted officers to shoot the suspect was released.

The shooting will be investigated by King County’s Independent Force Investigation Team.