Employee, 76, shoots intruder in scuffle at Everett real estate office

EVERETT, Wash. - An intruder who attempted to burglarize an Everett real estate office is in the hospital after he was shot by an employee at the office during a scuffle, police say.

The incident unfolded at about 9:15 a.m. Thursday when Everett police received a 911 call from the 76-year-old employee saying he was holding a burglar at gunpoint inside the real estate business in the 1800 block of Colby Avenue.

When officers arrived at the scene, the suspect was gone. The employee told officers he had escaped after a verbal altercation in which the suspect threw office equipment at the employee, said Everett police spokesman Aaron Snell. The employee fired one shot at the suspect, striking him in the leg.

Officers set up a perimeter and searched the area with a K-9 police dog. The wounded suspect was found hiding in a back yard in the same block.

The suspect, a 30-year-old Everett man, was taken into custody and transported to Providence Medical Center Colby Campus for treatment of the gunshot wound to his leg.

His injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening, and he will be booked into Snohomish County Jail when he is released from the hospital.

The employee sustained minor injuries to his arm from the office equipment.

Everett detectives are investigating the incident at this time.