A 62-year-old Kansas man has been charged after prosecutors say he shot at Seattle police officers during an encounter Thursday evening in the Ballard neighborhood.
On Friday, King County prosecutors charged Christopher Michael Bowman with assault in the first degree and assault in the second degree. Both charges include firearm enhancements and a law enforcement aggravating factor, which could increase the standard sentencing range if he is convicted.
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According to charging documents, the first-degree assault charge alleges that Bowman shot at Seattle Police Officer Jonathan Lupastean with the intent to inflict great bodily harm. The second-degree assault charge alleges he assaulted Officer Bailey Person with a handgun.
Prosecutors have requested that bail be set at $3 million, citing concerns that Bowman poses a significant danger to the community. They also asked that if bail is posted, he be placed on electronic home detention.
The encounter began around 5:07 p.m. Thursday when an 18-year-old woman called 911 to report that her ex-husband was following her in Ballard. She told dispatchers he typically carried a pistol. The woman went inside a QFC store on 24th Avenue Northwest to wait for officers.
Police records indicate officers learned Bowman had an active extraditable warrant out of Kansas for violent crimes, including rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and criminal possession of a firearm.
Officers later spotted Bowman near Northwest 62nd Street and 28th Avenue Northwest.
According to investigators, Officer Lupastean exited a fully marked patrol vehicle, identified himself as police, and ordered Bowman to remove his hands from his pockets. Authorities say Bowman instead pulled out a handgun and fired.
Body-worn camera summaries state that multiple shots were exchanged between Bowman and officers. Officers Lupastean, Alex Nguye,n and Bailey Person were identified as the involved officers.
Bowman was struck during the exchange and fell to the ground. Officers secured the scene, kicked the handgun awa,y and took him into custody. The firearm was described as a semi-automatic handgun with one round in the chamber.
Officer Person later reported that something struck her knee, which investigators believe may have been shrapnel from rounds impacting a patrol vehicle. No officers were seriously injured.
Bowman was transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment of injuries sustained during the incident and remained hospitalized at the time of charging.
Extensive criminal history cited
Prosecutors say Bowman has an extensive out-of-state criminal history dating back to the 1990s. Court filings indicate prior felony convictions in Kansas for rape, attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, criminal possession of a firearm, and trafficking contraband in a correctional institution. He also has first-degree robbery convictions in Missouri, along with misdemeanor convictions that include assault on a law enforcement officer and violation of a protection order.
Investigators noted that, as a convicted felon, Bowman would likely be prohibited from legally possessing a firearm.
Bowman is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 19 in King County Superior Court.
