A nine-year veteran of the Seattle Police department was shot dead as he sat in the driver's seat of a police cruiser with a trainee officer by his side. A car pulled up and fired several shots. Officer Timothy Brenton died from a shot to the head.
SEATTLE, Washington - Seattle Police are in shock over the drive-by shooting death of veteran officer Timothy Brenton.
Brenton was with a trainee officer and the pair had just made a traffic stop. A car pulled up alongside and fired several shots, said interim Seattle Police Chief John Diaz.
Brenton, 39, was shot in the head. The shooting occurred at 10 p.m. on Saturday.
"We are very disturbed by this, this is very rough on us," said Sgt. Sean Whitcomb in an interview from Seattle on Sunday night. "Right now we are looking at about every angle but what we believe at this time is that this was stranger crime, completely random, and that the officer was randomly selected because he was a uniformed police officer."
"It could have been any uniformed police officer," he said in an interview Sunday evening. He agreed the shooting would have been done by someone motivated by extreme hate.
Interim Seattle Police Chief John Diaz said Brenton, a field training officer, was in the company of student officer Britt Sweeny and they had made a traffic stop in the 100-block of 29th Street when the tragedy occurred.
"Officer Timothy Brenton, a Field Training Officer assigned to Third Watch, East Precinct, was shot to death while he and Student Officer Britt Sweeney, were parked in their patrol car in the 100 Block of 29th Avenue last night shortly after 10:00 p.m." said Diaz in a stunning announcement.
"The investigation thus far has shown that Officers Brenton and Sweeney had just completed a traffic stop and were discussing the stop as part of Officer Sweeney’s training," he siad..
"Their patrol car was parked facing southbound in the 100 Block of 29th Avenue on the west side of the street. Officer Sweeney was in the driver’s seat; Officer Brenton was in the front passenger seat.
"As they were discussing training, a vehicle, described as a light-colored small car, also travelling southbound, pulled up next to the patrol vehicle," said Diaz.
"The suspect(s) opened fire upon the officers. The bullets went by Officer Sweeney’s head, grazing her in the back of the neck and tearing her uniform shirt and vest.
"Bullets struck Officer Brenton in the head, killing him. The suspect vehicle then fled northbound on 29th Avenue. Officer Sweeney was able to exit the patrol car and return fire at the suspect vehicle," he added.
"The suspect vehicle may have been struck. Officer Sweeney was able to get on the air and summon additional officers to the scene. Officer Sweeney’s performance was exemplary under the most stressful and horrific call imaginable," Diaz said.
There was a massive response from all points of the city and beyond. Patrol, detectives, and the Hospital Response Team all responded and provided support for officers and the families. Information is being developed as to possible suspect(s).
Seattle Police Department Homicide detectives are responsible for this investigation, explained Diaz.
"There is no other way to describe what occurred last night to Officers Brenton and Sweeney other than this was a deliberate act of murder. We have all the resources of the Department working on this investigation, and will not stop until we have those responsible answer for this heinous crime. We owe it to Officers Brenton and Sweeney, their families, ourselves and the community," he said.
Brenton was a 9-year veteran of Seattle Police at the time of his death. He leaves behind a wife and two children. Sweeney is 33- years-old and a recent graduate of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center.
Funeral arrangements are being planned.
"This is a profound tragedy and shock to our senses. We will take the time to grieve, reflect, and honor our fallen brother. The Department’s Crisis Incident Stress Management Team will be available for all those who request it," said Diaz.
Seattle Police have set up a tip line for the public to provide information that may assist the investigation. That number is (206) 233-5000.
"A bank account for Officer Timothy Brenton’s family is being set up at this time. We will provide more information when the details become available."
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call either 911 or the Seattle Police Homicide Unit at 206 684-5550, or the tipline at (206) 233-5000. Those wishing to remain anonymous are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a text to CRIMES (274637). Your text message should include “TIP486″ to ensure proper routing.
If a tip leads to an arrest and the filing of charges, callers may qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000. An additional $20,000 reward is being offered by the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild, for a total of $21,000. Calls are taken 24 hours a day.
