A 61-year-old police officer is in critical condition after being shot in the back of the head in Mount Vernon, WA, on Thursday night, KIRO-TV reported. The officer was initially taken to Skagit Valley Hospital and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center, authorities said.
The suspect was taken into custody early Friday morning after he shot at police during an hours-long standoff, reports KIRO.
SWAT team officers stormed the building using tear gas and detained the 44-year-old local man along with two others, Washington State Patrol Sgt. Keith Leary told reporters, reports NBC News.
Prosecutors are looking to charge the suspect, named Ernesto Rivas, with attempted murder in the shooting of the Mount Vernon police officer, reports KIRO. Rivas reportedly has a violent past and is well known to police. A Skagit County prosecutor said that this could be Rivas' third strike, which means he is looking at life in prison. His bail is set at $1 million.