The Seattle Police Department didn’t waste time getting this video out to the public after a suspect was fatally shot by police on December 6, 2015. Police identified 35-year-old Raymond Azevedo as the man seen in the video (from multiple angles) terrorizing motorists in the area around Seattle through a multi-city car chase. He can be heard firing at officers during the chase, eventually crashing and being boxed in by police vehicles. A woman who didn’t want to be identified was hit by Azevedo's vehicle and was seen running from her car mere seconds before Azevedo turned his battered stolen vehicle toward police and tried to floor it. As soon as he made that move, police opened fire, fatally shooting him. Watch the video below and read on for more information on Raymond Azevedo.
The calls to police started in early afternoon on December 6:
The crime spree started around 12:30 p.m. Sunday in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood when the suspect, armed with two pistols, ran into a coffee shop at Pike Place Market. A barista at Storyville Coffee saw the man had a gun and called 911.
Police say he then fled to a nearby tattoo parlor, prompting another call to police.
"The guy kicked open the door and I thought he was just being a jerk so I was going to ask him to leave and walked up to him and he pulled two pistols out of his pockets—these two big black guns with chrome tops," said James Sykes at Under the Needle.
He went on to terrorize a man and his five children at a nearby tennis center before stealing their minivan:
"The guy bursts through the door and says, 'Give me your keys,' and took out two pistols and waved them around," said Adam Tratt. "I told my kids to run. I went to reach for my keys. He didn't want me reaching in my pocket. I grabbed my keys and I threw them across the room."
Given his criminal history, the video and his actions makes it seem as Azevedo had no intention of going back to prison:
Azevedo's been convicted of ten felonies, including eluding police, unlawful possession of a firearm and stealing a car. His rap sheet also includes ten gross misdemeanors, including driving under the influence and six more misdemeanors.
Seattle Police say up to 11 officers exchanged gunfire with the Azevedo. They have all been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident.
Hats off to the Seattle Police Department for being transparent and releasing the video as quickly as they did.