A 67-year-old man with a Hansville address was shot and killed by Seattle police April 17 at a Tukwilla hotel following an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce operation.
Bruce Coval Meneley was identified April 23 by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, which determined he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Police had probable cause to arrest Meneley as he thought he was meeting two girls ages 7 and 11 inside a hotel room, the Seattle Police Department’s online blotter states. As three officers tried to take him into custody, Meneley produced a gun. One of the officers grabbed for it, and the gun went off. Two officers then fired their guns at Meneley.
One of the officers suffered a graze wound, per SPD.
SPD’s Force Investigation Team is looking into the incident, which is standard protocol. The officers will be placed on paid administrative leave.
“We take these incidents seriously and understand transparency is key,” a statement from SPD reads. “This is SPD’s first officer-involved shooting in eight months, and it is the first officer-involved shooting ending with a death in 23 months. Any time there is a loss of life, it is devastating to our community.”