A man accused of firing at Seattle police officers during a February confrontation in Ballard has died from injuries he sustained when officers returned fire.
Christopher Michael Bowman, 62, died Wednesday from wounds he received during the shootout, according to the Independent Force Investigations Team, King County. Bowman had been hospitalized in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center since the incident.
The confrontation occurred in February when officers attempted to arrest Bowman in the Ballard neighborhood. Police said Bowman fired at officers who returned fire, striking him multiple times. Prosecutors had filed first-degree assault and second-degree assault charges against him following the shooting.
Court records show Bowman had a lengthy criminal history spanning back to the 1990s. In Kansas, he was convicted of rape, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, criminal possession of a firearm, and trafficking contraband in a correctional institution. He also had first-degree robbery convictions in Missouri. At the time of the shooting, Bowman had an active extraditable warrant from Kansas related to his prior convictions.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the cause and manner of death. The Independent Force Investigations Team continues to actively investigate the incident. Detectives are processing evidence and reviewing officers’ body-worn camera footage. The team will provide weekly updates until the investigation concludes.
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