SEATTLE, WA - A man with a long criminal history of violent crimes has now been accused of attempting to kill Seattle police officers during an arrest earlier this week in the Ballard neighborhood.
On Friday, February 13, prosecutors filed charges of assault in the first-degree and assault in the second-degree against 62-year-old Christopher Michael Bowman, KOMO News reported. Charging documents provide additional details about the encounter between Bowman and Seattle police on Thursday night, February 12.
At 5:07 p.m., an 18-year-old woman called police to report that Bowman, her ex-husband, was following her. She told dispatchers that he usually carries a pistol with him.
The woman went inside the QFC store on 24th Ave Northwest in Ballard and waited for police to arrive. Police noted that they ran Bowman's name through a database and found he had an active warrant for rape and other violent crimes in Kansas. As police patrolled the area looking for Bowman, they spotted him walking on Northwest 62nd Street near 28th Ave Northwest around 5:45 p.m.
According to a summary of body-worn camera video included in charging documents, the Seattle police officer who found Bowman exited his police vehicle and ordered him to show his hands. Bowman reportedly immediately drew his gun and shot at the officer.
Authorities confirmed that three officers returned fire, striking Bowman multiple times. A description of the body-cam footage states that Bowman is seen firing his gun in videos from all three officers. A female officer was struck in the knee by shrapnel from one of Bowman's shots.
"(Officer) immediately identified himself as 'police' and told (Bowman) to get his hands out of his pockets," prosecutors wrote in charging documents. "(Bowman) responded by pointing his weapon in the (officer's) direction and firing ... his first response when confronted by law enforcement was to use deadly force."
The shooting was near Adams Elementary School Community, KING 5 reported. In an email to families, Principal Douglas Sohn said a teacher's lounge window was struck by a bullet. "No one inside the building was injured, and there is no indication that any students, staff, or families were directly involved or harmed," Sohn said.
A mother told reporters that about 30 people were inside the elementary school for a PTSA potluck when the shooting happened. The parent said her family is rattled.
Bowman has a violent criminal history dating back to the 1990s. In Kansas, Bowman was convicted of rape, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, criminal possession of a firearm, and trafficking contraband in a correctional institution. He also has convictions for robbery in the first-degree in Missouri.
At the time of the shooting, Bowman had an extraditable warrant from Kansas related to his prior convictions. Charging documents state that Bowman remains at Harborview Medical Center.
On Friday, February 13, prosecutors filed charges of assault in the first-degree and assault in the second-degree against 62-year-old Christopher Michael Bowman, KOMO News reported. Charging documents provide additional details about the encounter between Bowman and Seattle police on Thursday night, February 12.
At 5:07 p.m., an 18-year-old woman called police to report that Bowman, her ex-husband, was following her. She told dispatchers that he usually carries a pistol with him.
The woman went inside the QFC store on 24th Ave Northwest in Ballard and waited for police to arrive. Police noted that they ran Bowman's name through a database and found he had an active warrant for rape and other violent crimes in Kansas. As police patrolled the area looking for Bowman, they spotted him walking on Northwest 62nd Street near 28th Ave Northwest around 5:45 p.m.
According to a summary of body-worn camera video included in charging documents, the Seattle police officer who found Bowman exited his police vehicle and ordered him to show his hands. Bowman reportedly immediately drew his gun and shot at the officer.
Authorities confirmed that three officers returned fire, striking Bowman multiple times. A description of the body-cam footage states that Bowman is seen firing his gun in videos from all three officers. A female officer was struck in the knee by shrapnel from one of Bowman's shots.
"(Officer) immediately identified himself as 'police' and told (Bowman) to get his hands out of his pockets," prosecutors wrote in charging documents. "(Bowman) responded by pointing his weapon in the (officer's) direction and firing ... his first response when confronted by law enforcement was to use deadly force."
The shooting was near Adams Elementary School Community, KING 5 reported. In an email to families, Principal Douglas Sohn said a teacher's lounge window was struck by a bullet. "No one inside the building was injured, and there is no indication that any students, staff, or families were directly involved or harmed," Sohn said.
A mother told reporters that about 30 people were inside the elementary school for a PTSA potluck when the shooting happened. The parent said her family is rattled.
Bowman has a violent criminal history dating back to the 1990s. In Kansas, Bowman was convicted of rape, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, criminal possession of a firearm, and trafficking contraband in a correctional institution. He also has convictions for robbery in the first-degree in Missouri.
At the time of the shooting, Bowman had an extraditable warrant from Kansas related to his prior convictions. Charging documents state that Bowman remains at Harborview Medical Center.
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