18-year-old Pasco teen identified in deadly shooting after stabbing 2 police officers

Two Pasco police officers are home recovering from cuts and stab wounds after they were attacked Saturday night by an 18-year-old who was fatally shot.

Alejandro Betancourt-Mendoza was identified by Franklin County Coroner Curtis McGary as the man killed by at least one of the officers.

Police had been called to the 2100 block of North 18th Drive about 8:30 p.m. for a report of a property crime.

It was during that investigation that Betancourt-Mendoza allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the two officers.

That’s when at least one of them responded with gunfire.

McGary could not say Sunday how many times the teen was hit.

An autopsy is tentatively scheduled for mid-week. McGary is trying to firm up a time with the forensic pathologist.

The male and female officers immediately drove themselves to Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco, talking to dispatchers along the way.

“Myself and 92 are driving to Lourdes. ... I’ve been stabbed, same as (Officer Kierra) Peoples. ... I’m bleeding pretty bad,” said the male officer.

He told dispatchers he had applied a tourniquet after suffering a deep cut to his arm, according to a recording on Broadcastify.

Officer Peoples was cut on her face.

Police Chief Ken Roske said the female officer was treated for minor wounds in the hospital’s emergency department and released from the hospital.

The other officer underwent surgery for his wounds.

Pasco police posted on their Facebook at 7:14 a.m. Sunday that both officers were out of the hospital.

More information has not been released by police, including the identity of the officers.

The Tri-City Special Investigation Unit, which includes officers from other law enforcement agencies, was called in to investigate the officer-involved shooting.

This story was originally published December 15, 2019 at 12:31 PM with the headline "18-year-old Pasco teen identified in deadly shooting after stabbing 2 police officers."