BOTHELL, Wash. — King County prosecutors have refiled charges against a man accused of shooting and killing a Bothell police officer during a 2020 traffic stop, arguing that years of competency treatment have restored him sufficiently to face prosecution.
Henry Eugene Washington, 43, was charged Friday with aggravated first-degree murder in the death of Bothell Police Officer Jonathan Shoop, attempted first-degree murder for the shooting of Officer Mustafa Kumcur and vehicular assault for allegedly striking a pedestrian while fleeing the traffic stop.
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Prosecutors also alleged firearm sentencing enhancements on the murder and attempted murder charges.
According to charging documents, Shoop and Kumcur stopped Washington’s vehicle on July 13, 2020, near the intersection of state routes 522 and 527 in Bothell after noticing it had no license plates or trip permits. Shoop was driving the patrol vehicle while Kumcur, then a trainee, sat in the front passenger seat.
Prosecutors allege Washington sped away from the stop, striking 20-year-old pedestrian Jalen Irvin, who was legally crossing the street on a scooter. Court records say Irvin suffered a broken leg after being hit by the vehicle. Washington then drove across a median before stopping nearby.
According to the probable cause certification incorporated into the new charges, Washington exited his vehicle armed with a handgun, walked toward the stopped Bothell patrol car and fired through the driver’s side window. Witnesses told investigators he shouted “come on pigs” as he approached the officers. Authorities allege Washington fired first, prompting the officers to return fire from inside the patrol vehicle.
Investigators concluded that Washington’s bullets shattered the driver’s side window and struck Kumcur’s firearm, causing a bullet fired by Kumcur during the exchange to fatally strike Shoop in the head. Prosecutors allege Washington remains criminally responsible because his actions initiated the gunfight that led to Shoop’s death.
The charging documents allege Washington later admitted to detectives that he intentionally fired into the patrol car and intended to shoot the officer inside, though he claimed he acted in self-defense. Prosecutors dispute that claim, alleging the evidence shows Washington deliberately confronted the officers after fleeing the traffic stop.
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Washington’s case has followed a lengthy procedural path centered on his competency to stand trial.
Court records show prosecutors initially filed charges in 2020, but the case was dismissed without prejudice in October 2023 after 360 days of attempted competency restoration. Washington was then civilly committed to Western State Hospital. Prosecutors refiled the case in 2024 after receiving reports that he had stabilized, but it was dismissed again after he was found incompetent and returned to civil commitment.
According to the latest filing, Washington remains under civil commitment, which is scheduled to expire in July 2026.
Prosecutors said treatment records from Western State Hospital and Maple Lane indicate he has consistently taken prescribed medication, participated in treatment, successfully completed supervised community outings and demonstrated an understanding of his mental illness and the need for ongoing care.
The records cited by prosecutors also state Washington has been accepted to the University of Phoenix and planned to begin classes in June while continuing outpatient mental health and substance use treatment.
Based on those developments, prosecutors contend Washington is now competent to proceed and have asked the court to hold him without bail. They argue the charges carry potential life sentences and that the allegations demonstrate a substantial danger to the community.
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