2 Seattle undercover cops hurt in drug buy were lured to lot

An undercover Seattle police officer looking to buy crack cocaine was lured to a downtown parking lot on Monday night, where a group of young men attempted to rob him of his buy-bust money, according to a police report. A second undercover officer accompanied him.

The officer was punched in the face, suffering an injured jaw. A second officer later suffered serious facial injuries while arresting one of five suspects, the report says. Both were treated at Harborview Medical Center.

On Monday night, members of the West Precinct Anti-Crime Team were conducting a narcotics buy-bust operation, with two undercover officers posing as drug buyers, according to the Seattle police report.

Around 8:30 p.m., a 34-year-old officer, who has been with the department for more than six years, approached a 41-year-old Everett man at First Avenue and Pine Street, the report says. The man agreed to take the officer to someone who would sell him crack and led the officer to a parking lot two blocks away, in the 1500 block of Second Avenue, the report says.

The second undercover officer — a 45-year-old with more than five years on the force — accompanied the two men.

Once in the parking lot, the 41-year-old pointed out an 18-year-old Lynnwood man and told the younger officer to go to him, the report says. The older officer stood a few feet away.

The 18-year-old was accompanied by three others — a 22-year-old Seattle man, a 20-year-old Renton man and a 17-year-old boy. The Lynnwood man demanded to see the officer's money. The officer "discreetly showed" the man "his buy money and then asked to see the drugs he would be purchasing," the report says. The Lynnwood man refused.

Realizing that he and his fellow officer "were outnumbered and surrounded," the younger officer attempted to move away from the Lynnwood man, but the man punched him in the face, the report says. The officer fell to the ground and curled into a ball as the three other young men converged on the officers, according to the report.

The older officer identified himself as a police officer and used his police radio to call for help, the report says. The four young men ran off and the younger officer struggled to arrest the 41-year-old.

"All five suspects were eventually chased down and arrested," the report said.

A 47-year-old officer, who was working as backup for the undercover officers, was injured while arresting the 20-year-old man. According to police, the officer suffered a serious gash over his eye, injury to his eye socket and a broken nose.

The 20-year-old was released from the King County Jail less than three weeks ago for violating conditions of his community custody, according to jail records and state Department of Corrections spokesman Chad Lewis. He was released from prison in July, after serving time for assaulting a 51-year-old man on North Beacon Hill and stealing the man's wallet, which contained $2, according to court records.

On Monday, bail was set at $200,000 for the Lynnwood man suspected of punching the undercover officer, jail records show. Bail for the three other suspects was set at $20,000 each. The juvenile suspect is to appear in court Wednesday.

Seattle Times news researcher Gene Balk contributed

to this report.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654