Washington Deputy Fighting For His Life After Shooting Ambush

The condition of Sgt Nick Hausnser has improved, but Deputy Kent Mundell suffered life-threatening wounds and remains critical.

Sgt. Nick Hausner and Deputy Kent Mundell Photos: Pierce County Sheriff's Department

(SEATTLE) - Two deputies in Washington were ambushed today as they responded to a family disturbance call in the town of Eatonville, about 30 miles south of Tacoma.

The law enforcement officers entered a home where two brothers were reportedly fighting. After they were invited inside by one brother, the second reportedly retrieved a gun from upstairs and began firing down, striking the two deputies.

In spite of their wounds, the deputies returned fire and killed the suspect, David E. Crable.

Sgt. Nick Hausner, a 20 year veteran of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, was transported to Madigan Army Medical Center.

Jay Ebbeson with the Madigan Army Medical Center, told Salem-News just before 4:00 p.m. that Hausner, who arrived in serious condition, is now in stable condition.

"Sgt Nick Hausnser is now in stable condition, that is an improvement," Ebbeson said, adding that the doctors are pretty confident that he will continue to improve. Nick Hausner is married, and has children who are 14 and 12 years old.

Ebbeson said everyone at the Madigan Army Medical Center is also keeping his fellow officer in their thoughts.

The second deputy, Kent Mundell, is fighting for his life in Seattle's Harborview Medical Center, where he was transported by helicopter after the shooting.

Hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg-Hanson, told Salem-News that Mundell is in critical condition in the facility's Intensive Care Unit.

"He is surrounded by family and friends and other law enforcement officials have been here all day."

Gregg-Hanson said their teams are doing everything possible, "Trauma is our business, he has a lot of support."

In spite of the serious, life-threatening injuries, Gregg-Hanson had an undeniable tone of optimism. Still, it is clear that the injuries are severe.

"Right now it is just hour by hour."

Kent Mundell is married and has two children, a 16-year-old and a 10-year-old.

Most are aware that four police officers in Pierce County were ambushed and killed November 29, 2009. Sergeant Mark Renninger, Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, and Greg Richards were drinking coffee and planning their day at Forza's Coffee shop in Parkland when a gunman entered and killed the four officers, while being shot in the process. He was killed a short time later by police. Previous stories:

Two Deputies in Critical Condition After Gunbattle That Left Suspect Dead - Tim King Salem-News.com

Names of Deputies Ambushed in Washington Released - Salem-News.com

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Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor.
Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), the first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several other awards including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website, affiliated with Google News and several other major search engines and news aggregators.
You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com