Wanted man shot by Yakima police in third officer-involved shooting in 24-hour span

An officer-involved shooting early Wednesday morning ended with a man wanted by police being flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Police say two members of the Yakima Police Department SWAT team shot 30-year-old Gabriel Anthony Zavala after an hourslong standoff. Police weren’t able to describe the extent of Zavala’s injuries except to say he suffered at least two gunshot wounds, possibly to an arm and a leg.

The shooting marks the seventh officer-involved shooting in Yakima County this year, with the last three occurring in a span of 24 hours.

Zavala was wanted by police for his suspected role in the Saturday morning nonfatal shooting of a man in Union Gap.

Police said they received a tip Tuesday night at about 6:20 p.m. that led them to the 800 block of Fourth Avenue, where an officer contacted Zavala, who then shot at the officer. Zavala escaped by ramming a vehicle into the officer’s patrol car, and he shot at a second responding officer while driving away, according to a release from the Yakima Police Department.

At 11 p.m., police received another tip that lead them to the 12th Avenue building where the standoff occurred, the release said.

Police said Zavala barricaded himself in the building and refused commands to surrender before they forced him outside with tear gas. Zavala emerged armed and was shot by police, the release said.

Zavala was taken to a local hospital before being moved to Harborview. His condition was not immediately available.

Two Yakima police officers who shot Zavala have been placed on routine administrative leave, and the Washington State Patrol will investigate the shooting, police said.