Duty Death: Diego Moreno - [Kent]
End of Service: 22/07/2018
By Police1 Staff
KENT, Wash. — A Washington police department has identified the officer who was killed after being struck by a patrol vehicle during a pursuit.
The Kent Police Department identified the fallen officer as Officer Diego Moreno on Sunday night. Moreno was deploying spike strips during a pursuit when he was fatally struck.
On Sunday morning, officers heard gunshots and arrived at a restaurant parking lot when they saw a red truck speeding away, according to KOMO News. An officer was pursuing the red truck when his patrol vehicle fatally struck Moreno at an intersection.
The officer driving the patrol vehicle then crashed into two other cars and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. According to KCPQ, the condition of the officer, who hasn’t been identified, was upgraded to satisfactory on Monday.
“A very sad day for law enforcement,” Washington State Patrol Captain Ron Mead said. “It’s directly because of the suspects’ actions that led to the officer’s death.”
One person was arrested after the red truck crashed about a mile away. Police are asking for the public’s help as they search for two other suspects who fled from the truck. It’s unknown if the person arrested was the driver or passenger in the truck.
Moreno, an eight-year veteran of the department, leaves behind a wife and two children. He was a hostage negotiator and a defensive tactics instructor for the department.
Authorities are still trying to determine what led to the shootings that sparked the pursuit.