By Lauren Girgis
The Seattle Times
SEATTLE — A 62-year-old Kansas man has been charged with assaulting law enforcement officers in connection with a police shootout Thursday evening in Ballard.
Christopher Michael Bowman is charged with first- and second-degree assault for allegedly shooting at Seattle police Officers Jonathan Lupastean and Bailey Person. One of the officers was treated for a graze wound to the leg.
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Bowman was in the hospital in critical condition on Friday. He was allegedly following his ex-wife who called 911, reporting he likely had a weapon, according to charging documents. Officers arrived and noted the suspect had a hand in his pocket, prosecutors allege.
Seattle police Chief Shon Barnes said Thursday evening the man exchanged gunfire with police officers who responded to a call from a woman who reported he was following her. The shooting, at Northwest 62nd Street and 28th Avenue Northwest, was right by Adams Elementary School and the Ballard Community Center.
One of the officers told the suspect to raise his hands and Bowman allegedly pointed his weapon and began firing, according to court documents.
Charging documents state Bowman has out-of-state convictions for rape, attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, criminal possession of a firearm, tracking contraband in prison and more from the 1990s. He also has a misdemeanor conviction of assault on law enforcement. He had an active warrant for his arrest out of Kansas for several crimes, according to the police report.
Prosecutors note in a filing decision that Bowman is almost certainly not eligible to possess a gun” due to his criminal history.
Prosecutors are requesting $3 million bail.
Kirkland police, who investigated the case as part of the King County Independent Force Investigation Team, referred the case for first-degree attempted aggravated murder, second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. Prosecuting attorney’s office spokesperson Casey McNerthney said in a statement that the charging decision was “made with limited evidence.
Additional information from the investigation may lead to additional or amended charges, McNerthney said.
According to the Kirkland police report, Bowman’s ex-wife went inside the QFC on 24th Avenue Northwest to hide from him.
A witness had picked up his kids and was walking up 62nd Street when he saw the shooting, according to the police report. The witness said a man passed him after police cars pulled up, and he heard a police officer tell the man to get his hands out of his pockets. The witness saw the man pull a pistol and aim it at officers, the report said, and the officers and man began shooting at each other. The witness grabbed his kids and ran, the police report states.
Bowman’s arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 19 in King County Superior Court.
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