Suspect Identified in Seattle Police Killing

Seattle police on Saturday said they believe a man suspected of fatally shooting a police officer on Halloween night also firebombed police cruisers and other property nine days earlier.

At a news conference, Seattle Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel identified 41-year-old Christopher Monfort as the man shot by police on Friday as he was sought in connection with the killing of Officer Timothy Brenton. Pugel also said investigators found improvised explosive devices at Monfort's apartment.

"This man, from everything we can tell is a lone domestic terrorist," Pugel said. "At this moment we cannot find any ties to anyone else."

Brenton was sitting in a car Oct. 31 with rookie Officer Britt Sweeney following a traffic stop when shots were fired. Sweeney was grazed in the neck.

Detectives have asked the King County prosecutor's office for formal charges in the case.

On Saturday morning, Monfort was in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Harborview Medical Center, said hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson. He underwent hours of surgery Friday night and arrived at the hospital in critical condition with "multiple injuries."

Pugel said police believe Monfort is connected to the Oct. 22 firebombings of three Seattle police cruisers and a mobile command post at a nearby city garage. Investigators reportedly found a note threatening to kill officers and fliers protesting police brutality at the arson scene.

On Friday, police detectives were pursuing a tip from the resident who said a car at an apartment complex in suburban Tukwila matched the description of a vehicle seen nearby when Brenton was killed.

While officers examined the car, which was covered by a tarp, television footage showed dozens of cruisers surrounding the building.

Pugel said detectives were walking to speak with other law enforcement conducting surveillance when Monfort left his apartment and approached the three detectives.