Man shot during attempted armored car robbery in South Seattle

A 40-year-old man was shot in South Seattle about 10:20 a.m. Sunday as he attempted to rob an armored car employee outside a McDonald's restaurant, Seattle police said.

The man was shot three times, in the arm, the chest and the shoulder, after he confronted a Garda armored car worker, said police spokeswoman Reneé Witt.

The employee, who was armed, fired six shots during the encounter, Witt said. He was not injured. Witt said she didn't know whether the suspect was armed or whether he implied he had a weapon.

"I know there was a verbal exchange between the suspect and the guard when the suspect grabbed the money bag and tried to snatch it out of the guard's hand," she said.

Witt said the employee works as a "runner" who picks up or drops off cash from businesses while the driver stays behind inside the armored car.

"The driver cannot leave the vehicle under any circumstances," she said.

When police arrived at the McDonald's in the 9300 block of Rainier Avenue South, in Rainier Beach, they found the wounded suspect on the ground, Witt said. Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Dana VanderHowen said the man was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

He was listed in critical condition, a spokeswoman for Harborview said.

A woman who works at H&R Block, a tax preparation outlet across the street from the McDonald's, said she saw the shooting occur. The Garda employee was walking back to his vehicle after leaving the restaurant when he was confronted by a heavyset man, said the woman, who didn't want to be identified.

"We just looked up and saw it all happen," she said. "We heard the shots and saw him fall to the ground."

The confrontation lasted just a few seconds, she said.

A man who answered the phone at the McDonald's said he wasn't allowed to comment. A representative of Garda couldn't be reached for comment.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com