Multiple teenagers face serious charges following a high-speed chase and shooting incident on Interstate 5 that endangered motorists and law enforcement officers late last month.
The sequence of events began on the evening of November 29 when Community Response Group officers conducting patrols in North Seattle attempted to stop a Dodge Durango SUV traveling erratically at high speed on Aurora Avenue North. The vehicle refused to stop, and officers chose not to immediately pursue given the dangerous driving conditions.
Plain-clothed officers in unmarked vehicles later located the SUV parked in South Seattle. Patrol units were being directed to the location when the vehicle began moving again, initiating a pursuit that would end in gunfire and arrests.
As the SUV traveled south on Interstate 5, occupants fired multiple rounds at a Community Response Group officer following in an unmarked vehicle. The officer was not injured, and Seattle police officers did not return fire during the incident.
Detective Eric Muñoz with Seattle Police said investigators are still determining whether the shooters recognized the unmarked vehicle as law enforcement or believed they were being followed by an unidentified car.
The gunfire struck an innocent motorist’s vehicle, with bullet fragments landing in the driver’s lap according to police reports. Okswana Matsegora told reporters her car was caught in the crossfire as she drove on the freeway.
“I start screaming that they were shooting me, they were shooting me,” Matsegora recalled, describing the terrifying moments when gunshots rang out around her vehicle.
Matsegora estimated hearing four or five shots fired in rapid succession. She captured video showing her windshield struck and partially shattered by a bullet. The experience remains difficult to process, she said, though in the moment she feared for her life.
“I just started to press the brake, I put my head down and I was just waiting for shooting to stop,” Matsegora explained. “I didn’t know what’s the reason, like what is happening.”
The pursuit continued southbound on Interstate 5 into Tukwila, where officers executed a Precision Immobilization Technique maneuver at South 188th Street and Military Road South. The tactical driving technique successfully stopped the fleeing vehicle, allowing officers to move in for arrests.
Police apprehended four suspects from the vehicle, including three teenage girls between 15 and 17 years old and a 16-year-old boy who attempted to run from the scene. Two additional male suspects successfully fled on foot and remain at large despite extensive searches involving multiple law enforcement agencies and K9 units.
“There’s an alarming number of violent crimes including robberies, shootings, carjackings amongst teens in Seattle as well as King County,” Muñoz noted, placing the incident within a broader pattern of juvenile involvement in serious crimes.
Officers recovered a handgun near the abandoned SUV. A search of the 16-year-old boy revealed a second firearm in his possession. He also had an outstanding felony warrant for robbery, indicating previous involvement in violent crime.
“One of our police officers was shot at last night, so we will do everything in our legal power and authority to find these individuals and bring them into custody,” Muñoz stated, emphasizing the seriousness with which investigators are pursuing the remaining suspects.
The stolen Dodge Durango was transported to the police Vehicle Processing Room for forensic examination. Evidence technicians will analyze the vehicle for fingerprints, DNA, ballistic evidence, and other clues that might help identify the escaped suspects or provide additional details about the crime.
A complicating factor emerged when a man with a gunshot wound to his leg arrived at Valley Medical Center in Renton. Gun Violence Reduction Unit detectives are investigating whether his injury is connected to the Interstate 5 shooting incident, though the nature of that potential connection remains unclear.
The four apprehended teenagers were booked into the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center, the county’s juvenile detention facility. They face multiple serious charges including two counts of first-degree assault, possession of a stolen vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, and eluding a police vehicle.
First-degree assault charges reflect the severity of shooting at both a police officer and endangering other motorists. The charges carry substantial potential consequences even in the juvenile justice system, particularly given the number of counts and the violent nature of the alleged crimes.
The case remains open and active, with Gun Violence Reduction Unit detectives leading the investigation. Authorities continue searching for the two suspects who escaped on foot and are working to determine if additional individuals were involved in the incident.
Seattle Police urge anyone with information about the shooting, the pursuit, or the identities of the escaped suspects to contact the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. Callers may remain anonymous while providing information that could assist the investigation.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges with juvenile involvement in serious violent crimes across the Seattle area. Law enforcement officials have expressed concern about increasing numbers of teenagers participating in robberies, shootings, and carjackings, crimes that traditionally involved primarily adult offenders.
The decision by officers not to immediately pursue the SUV when it first fled on Aurora Avenue reflects evolving pursuit policies designed to balance public safety against the dangers of high-speed chases. Officers must weigh the seriousness of suspected crimes against risks to innocent motorists when deciding whether to engage in pursuits.
The subsequent shooting at police demonstrates the dangers officers face when attempting to locate and apprehend suspects even without engaging in high-speed pursuits. The use of unmarked vehicles allows officers to follow suspects without immediately triggering flight responses, though in this case occupants apparently detected surveillance and responded violently.
