Washington Police Officer Fatally Shot Responding to Domestic Abuse Call, Suspect Killed in 11-Hour Standoff

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Washington Police Officer Fatally Shot Responding to Domestic Abuse Call, Suspect Killed in 11-Hour Standoff

A Washington state police officer was fatally shot while responding to a domestic violence call, and the suspect was killed by cops in the ensuing night-long standoff, PEOPLE confirms.

The officer was identified at a press conference as 45-year-old Reginald “Jake” Gutierrez, who joined the Tacoma Police Department in 1999.

According to police, the suspect, a 38-year-old man whose name has not been released, barricaded himself inside a home during an 11-hour standoff. There were two children with him in the home — a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old — whose relationship to the suspect is not clear.

The suspect allegedly used the children as a shield before he was shot, police said at a press conference, but the children were ultimately unharmed.

“We were able to get in the house and get one of the kids away from him,” Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ed Troyer told the The News Tribune. “We had a SWAT member who had a clear shot. We fired one round, which struck , and we were able to rescue the second kid.”

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene and allegedly had multiple weapons, Troyer told the outlet.

According to the Washington Post, the suspect’s wife and another woman were inside the house when the officer was shot but manage to escape before the suspect locked himself inside.

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During the stand-off, Gutierrez’s body was transported to the Pierce County Medical Examiner, where law enforcement stood guard, according to KTVB. He was pronounced dead at 9 p.m.

“We choose this profession to try and make a difference. We sign up to help those in need,” Sgt. Jim Barrett, Tacoma Police Union president told KTVB. “In his career, this officer did just that. He made a difference in the lives of those he came in contact with. He may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.”