Ex-con charged in shootout with Seattle police

Seattle prosecutors on Friday charged a convicted felon with opening fire on police officers after authorities said he was chasing his ex-wife.

King County officials said Christopher Michael Bowman, 62, faces charges of assault in the Thursday night shooting that erupted in the city’s Ballard neighborhood.

Court documents said Bowman’s former wife called police to say Bowman was following her and that he normally carries a pistol. His ex-wife hid in a store while waiting for the police.

Officers spotted Bowman around 5:45 p.m. in the neighborhood, the filing said, and immediately ordered him to put his hands up.

But Bowman instead pulled out a handgun and unloaded on police, prosecutors said. Officers responded by returning fire and hitting the gunman in the exchange.

Bowman suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the shootout. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.

One officer was hit in the knee by bullet shrapnel. She is expected to survive.

Prosecutors said Bowman has several felony convictions in Kansas from more than 30 years ago.

In 1994, court records said Bowman was convicted of rape, robbery, kidnappying and weapons charges.

He was also convicted of smuggling contraband into prison, and has misdemeanor convictions of assaulting a police officer and violating a protection order in the state.

The suspect’s criminal record extends into Missouri as well, where he was convicted of robbery in 1995.

Kansas authorities sought to bring back Bowman in relation to his prior convictions until he was linked to Thursday’s shooting.

If Bowman recovers from his bullet wounds, his arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 19.