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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Mayor Honors Police Officer for Saving Lives in Capitol Hill Shooting
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
7/5/2006 12:00:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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Mayor Honors Police Officer for Saving Lives in Capitol Hill Shooting
SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels today honored Seattle Police Officer Steve Leonard
for saving lives by responding quickly and decisively to confront the man who
killed six people during an early morning shooting on Capitol Hill in March
of this year.
Officer Leonard was first on the scene of one of the worst shootings in Seattle
history.
“Officer Leonard did not hesitate to put his own life on the line and
stop Kyle Huff from more destruction,” Nickels said. “Kyle Huff
was prepared to hurt many more people. Officer Leonard’s bravery is a
testament to the police we rely on every day to keep our neighborhoods safe.”
The event unfolded in the early morning of March 25. Officer Steve Leonard
was on routine patrol when he responded to the 911 dispatch of multiple gun
shots.
As Officer Leonard approached the scene, he saw a group of people who were
pointing to a house at 2112 E. Republican Street. Someone in the crowd said
a man with a shotgun had run out and around the back of the house.
As Officer Leonard pulled up to the house, he saw a wounded victim coming
from the west side and the suspect, Kyle Huff, with a shotgun coming from the
east side. Officer Leonard ordered Huff to drop the gun: “Drop the gun
and show me your hands! Show me your hands! Show me your hands!”
Huff stopped, put the shotgun barrel under his chin and pulled the trigger.
He fell dead to the ground with the shotgun still in his left hand.
Around this time, other officers arrived at the scene and found five dead
victims and three injured. The three injured were transported to Harborview
Medical Center, where one later died.
Because of Officer Leonard’s bravery and police training, he was able
to stop Huff from doing more harm. Many people were in the house and could
have also become victims of this tragedy. Huff had many guns and rounds of
ammunition on him, in a bag and in his truck.
Officer Leonard joined the Seattle Police Department in December 2000, and
was a former police officer for the Lake Forest Park Police Department. He
is assigned to the East Precinct, first watch, and has a BA in Business Administration
from Central Washington University. Officer Leonard is married to Stephanie,
his high school sweetheart from Mountlake Terrace High. They have two children,
11-year-old Ian and 8-year-old Julia. He comes from a family of two brothers
and two sisters.
Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s
inside view on efforts to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity
and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm
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Office of the Mayor
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