Federal Way man charged in officer-involved shooting

Published 5:33 pm Wednesday, April 15, 2015

King County prosecutors recently charged the suspect who a Federal Way police officer shot on March 30.

Federal Way resident Christopher Leroy Roberson, 19, was charged with second-degree assault and attempted robbery on April 1.

His bail was set at $100,000.

Court documents allege Roberson approached a man waiting at a bus stop early one morning and demanded money.

The two were near the park and ride in the 27200 block of Pacific Highway S.

According to court documents, the victim refused to hand over his cell phone or money and the suspect punched him.

Roberson allegedly grabbed the man’s cell phone but the victim was able to get away by using the bus shelter to escape. During this time, court documents state Roberson began punching the shelter with his fists. The suspect ran after the victim as he called 911.

Federal Way police officer Benjamin Tseng, a 17-year veteran, and another officer responded to the call.

Court documents state Roberson confronted Tseng with a “kitchen, or steak-type, knife” in his fist.

“The defendant refused repeated commands by the officer to drop the knife and refused to cooperate with the officer’s directives,” the documents continue. “The defendant ran at the officer and shots were fired.”

Tseng broadcast on his radio at 6:51 a.m., “Drop the knife.” Several radio transmissions, such as commands to drop the knife and get on the ground, followed over the next several seconds.

“I was able to review the audio recording of the incident,” said Steven Ivey, a detective of Port of Seattle Police Department, who is involved in the investigation. “Officer Tseng can be heard ordering Roberson to drop the knife three times in the first eight seconds of his broadcast. As officer Tseng is giving orders, his voice sounded elevated and stressed, each command is louder and more forceful than the previous one.”

Officer Sederberg arrived on scene after the suspect ran across Pacific Highway South. As he approached the two, he drew his firearm and stopped 10 feet away. He could not see the suspect’s right hand but heard Tseng ordering him to drop the knife. Roberson, who was seated, allegedly raised his right hand as he held the knife. Sederberg also ordered him to drop the knife as Tseng deployed his Taser.

“Roberson screamed, stood up, started to run south, changed direction and then ran north,” the documents state. “Roberson turned west and ran down into the parking lot and ran straight into a wooden fence.”

The fence split and the suspect’s foot became caught between two sections. According to the detective, Tseng caught Roberson’s foot as he attempted to flee and tased him again.

The suspect yelled that he would drop the knife and then he threw it onto a grassy area on the other side of the fence.

Roberson was treated for one gunshot wound to the left hip and one to the lower left leg at the scene and taken to Harborview Medical Center.

Roberson has two juvenile offenses — possession of illegal drugs in 2010 and third-degree theft in 2011.

The officer-involved shooting component is still being investigated as the officer is on paid administrative leave, a standard policy.