A stolen Dodge Durango fled from Aurora Avenue to I-5 before officers forced a stop near SeaTac City Hall, police said.
SEATTLE, WA — Four teenagers were arrested late Saturday after police say occupants of a stolen SUV fired at an unmarked Seattle officer during a pursuit that began on Aurora Avenue North and continued onto Interstate 5 before ending near SeaTac City Hall. No officers were hit and no police fired back.
Police said the case matters now because gunfire on a major freeway endangered drivers and drew a multi-agency response at the end of a busy holiday weekend. The pursuit, led by Seattle’s Community Response Group, is in the early stages of investigation, with detectives examining whether a man who arrived at a Renton hospital with a leg wound is tied to the incident. Authorities booked three teen girls and a 16-year-old boy into juvenile detention on suspicion of assault and other counts while two additional suspects remained at large Sunday.
Shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday, officers on proactive patrol reported a speeding Dodge Durango weaving along Aurora Avenue North. When they tried to stop it, the driver accelerated away and officers did not immediately chase. The SUV resurfaced later in South Seattle. As additional units converged, the Durango merged south onto I-5. Police said someone inside the SUV then fired several rounds toward a plain, unmarked police vehicle. A driver in a nearby car told officers their vehicle was struck and that metal fragments landed in their lap. The pursuit moved through South King County until officers used a Precision Immobilization Technique to spin the SUV to a stop near South 188th Street and Military Road South, a short walk from SeaTac City Hall.
When the Durango halted, six people bailed out and ran. Officers arrested four: three girls ages fifteen to seventeen and a sixteen-year-old boy. Investigators recovered one handgun from the ground near the abandoned SUV and another from the teen boy during a search after arrest, police said. The boy was also wanted on a felony robbery warrant. Two male suspects escaped into nearby neighborhoods despite a perimeter, K-9 tracks and assistance from surrounding agencies. Detectives said it remains unknown who fired the shots on the freeway or how many rounds were discharged. No officers returned fire during the incident.
Investigators towed the Durango to a secure facility for evidence processing, including shell casing recovery, DNA swabs and checks for ballistic damage. Police said the SUV had been reported stolen prior to Saturday’s encounters. As officers worked the scene, a man showed up at Valley Medical Center in Renton with a gunshot wound to his leg. Detectives with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit are reviewing whether his injury is linked to the freeway shooting, and whether he was in the Durango or struck as a bystander elsewhere. Authorities have not released the man’s name, age or condition. The struck witness vehicle was impounded so technicians could document bullet paths and collect fragments.
The chase threaded well-known corridors. Aurora Avenue North is a frequent focus of traffic and crime patrols, and the I-5 stretch through South Seattle and Tukwila is lined with ramps that can complicate pursuits. Neighbors near Valley Ridge Park in SeaTac reported seeing officers with long guns, drones and police dogs searching greenbelts and backyards after the crash. One resident, Frank Vasquez, said officers crossed his lawn during the search and that flashing lights filled the block for hours. Detective Eric Muñoz, a Seattle police spokesperson, said the freeway gunfire underscored the danger to bystanders, adding that investigators were “thankful” no one was seriously hurt.
The teens were booked into the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children & Family Justice Center on suspicion of two counts of first-degree assault, possession of a stolen vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm and attempting to elude a police vehicle. Prosecutors will review the case early this week to determine formal charges. Detectives plan to conduct additional interviews, analyze body-worn video and in-car camera footage, and submit the recovered guns for fingerprinting and ballistics comparison. Police said search efforts for the two outstanding suspects would continue; any future court hearings for the juveniles are expected to be scheduled in King County this week.
By Sunday afternoon, police had not released the names of the teenagers because they are juveniles and no charging documents had been filed. The freeway lanes were open and the scene cleared overnight. Detectives were awaiting lab results from the SUV and the firearms, and officers planned additional patrols along Aurora Avenue North. The next public update is expected once detectives determine whether the Renton gunshot patient is connected to the case and when prosecutors announce charging decisions.
Author note: Last updated November 30, 2025.