Man Carrying Knife Allegedly Tries To Steal Transit Bus, Shot Dead By Cops

A Washington man was shot dead by police after he allegedly attempted to steal a transit bus.

Police were called to the Federal Way Transit Center off 23rd Avenue South around 6 p.m. ET Sunday after a man refused to get off a bus. A 911 caller told cops that the unidentified man, who was armed with a knife, appeared to be under the influence and possibly going through a mental health crisis, The Seattle Times reported.

When the crisis negotiators arrived, the 54-year-old man, from Soap Lake, attempted to start the bus and drive away. He then got off the vehicle and charged at the officers with a knife, prompting them to open fire. The man died instantly and no officers were injured in the incident, police said.

Investigators have not released the identity of the suspect or revealed how many officers fired their guns. However, as part of the standard protocol in officer-involved shootings, nine officers were placed on administrative leave.

The case will be investigated by the Valley independent investigation team, which is in charge of probing officer-involved shootings in King County.

Sound Transit, which manages transit services, issued a statement after the fatal shooting.

"Please note that this incident did not involve activity tied to the transit center but someone who arrived on a Pierce Transit bus while experiencing some form of psychological issue and who didn't want to deboard. It's hard to imagine how greater or lesser security staffing would have changed much in this instance," the statement read, reported KOMO News.

The incident has sparked discussions on the need for officers to have training on handling mental health episodes to avoid such fatal incidents.

"The police, honestly, need to be trained better to handle situations like that, you know what I mean. Because at the end of the day, taking somebody's life should be the last thing that you do," said Tai Rutledge, whose cousin was shot by cops following a mental health episode at the Renton Transit Center last April, KIRO 7 reported.