BOTHELL — A King County judge dismissed aggravated first-degree murder charges in the slaying of a Bothell cop in 2020, finding the defendant was not competent enough to assist in his defense.
Henry Eugene Washington, 40, was charged with opening fire on Bothell officer Jonathan Shoop during a car chase. Another officer returned fire, accidentally firing the round that killed Shoop, but prosecutors argued Washington’s actions merited the aggravated murder charge.
Prosecutors dismissed the charges without prejudice last week, citing a mental health report showing the defendant “currently lacks the capacity” to understand the allegations.
Washington showed “genuine active symptoms” of psychosis, according to an earlier medical report written by Dr. Kayla Carson in October 2022. He had also been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
“With regard to the charge of Aggravated Murder in the First Degree, he did not appear to fully grasp how he could be held responsible for a murder that he reportedly did not directly commit,” Carson wrote.
King County Superior Court judges ordered three competency evaluations for Washington at Western State Hospital. After 90 days, Washington was returned to jail each time.
“While he could engage in organized, goal-oriented conversation around a variety of topics, he became increasingly tangential with loosening of associations when speaking about topics that reflect delusion themes related to his case,” the 2022 medical evaluation read.
He reported hearing voices in his head, claimed celebrities owed him money and “discussed beliefs that appeared illogical in nature,” according to a 29-page forensic report compiled in September by Dr. Sarah Henry.
On July 13, 2020, officers Shoop and Mustafa Kumcur tried to stop a Pontiac G6 going west on Highway 522, according to charging papers. After a short pursuit, the black sedan hit a pedestrian on a scooter in a crosswalk, crashed through the center median and stopped in the 10300 block of Woodinville Drive.
Security footage reportedly showed a man, later identified as Washington, step out of the Pontiac with a handgun.
Charging papers accused Washington of firing at officer-in-training Shoop and field training officer Kumcur, who was in the passenger seat.
Shoop died in the gunfire. He was 32.
He remains the only police officer killed in the line of duty in Bothell’s history.
King County prosecutors charged Washington four days after Shoop’s death.
“The fact that Mr. Washington did not fire the fatal shot is immaterial to his culpability in this crime,” King County senior deputy prosecutor Mary Barbosa wrote in 2020. “But for Mr. Washington’s directed attack on the officers, Officer Shoop would be alive today.”
Washington did not appear in court when he was charged because he had been found “medically unavailable.”
King County Superior Court Judge Michael R. Scott signed the dismissal paperwork, which was also signed by Barbosa and defense attorney Matt Sanders.
Because the charges were dismissed without prejudice, prosecutors can refile them if a judge finds Washington competent in the future.
As of Wednesday, the defendant was still listed as an inmate at the King County Jail.
Correction: This article has been updated to clarify a King County Superior Court judge dismissed the charges.
Maya Tizon: 425-339-3434; maya.tizon@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @mayatizon.
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