A Sierra Leone national in Washington has been charged with assault after allegedly ambushing Bellevue police officers at the Bellevue Transit Center with a bogus 911 call.
The encounter resulted in one officer being stabbed, leaving him critically injured, while the suspect was taken to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.
Mohamed Morray Bangura faces first-degree assault with a deadly weapon enhancement and second-degree assault with a deadly weapon enhancement, according to King County prosecutors.
Bangura, 38, remains in custody on $5 million bail ahead of his scheduled arraignment Thursday in King County Superior Court.
The incident occurred shortly after noon on Friday at the Bellevue Transit Center on N.E. Sixth Street.
Prosecutors say Bangura placed an anonymous 911 call reporting a verbal argument between a man and a woman, instructing dispatchers to send “an officer or two” while providing vague details.
Investigators later determined that Bangura himself made the call, The Seattle Times reports.
Officers Sean Winebrenner and Guilherme Spagnolo responded and initially found Bangura calm and cooperative.
Court documents indicate he admitted to placing the call and referenced a prior complaint he had filed against an unrelated Bellevue officer the day before. Seconds into the interaction, Bangura allegedly drew a five-inch kitchen knife and lunged at Officer Spagnolo.
The officer dodged the attack, but Bangura then slashed and stabbed Officer Winebrenner multiple times, according to KOMO News.
Winebrenner sustained serious injuries, including a six-inch facial laceration, dislocated shoulder and broken clavicle. He was treated at Harborview and discharged the following day.
Officer Spagnolo fired six shots at Bangura during the ambush, striking him three times in the arm, leg and flank. Both the officer and Bangura were transported to Harborview for treatment.
Authorities say the ambush was premeditated and motivated by Bangura’s animus toward Bellevue police.
“Instead of letting that complaint process play out, he chose to arm himself with a knife and assault two other innocent, unwitting officers who thought they were responding to a call of domestic violence,” prosecutors wrote in charging documents.
Investigators reviewed body-worn camera footage showing the officers remaining calm during the initial encounter, with no indication of aggression from Bangura until he suddenly attacked.
Police recovered Bangura’s passport, phone and other identifying documents at the scene, according to the Lynnwood Times.
Bangura had no prior criminal record in King County. Authorities previously encountered him in September while he was sleeping on church property near the transit center, where he allegedly threatened a security guard during a confrontation.
The King County Independent Force Investigation Team is reviewing the officer-involved shooting.
The case has drawn significant attention on social media, with some users noting that mainstream outlets have been slow to report the story due to the suspect’s foreign nationality and speculating about his Muslim ties.
As of this publication, authorities have not confirmed Bangura’s religion or immigration status.
The incident underscores the dangers officers face when responding to staged emergency calls and highlights ongoing public debate over transparency, reporting of crimes involving immigrants and social media discourse.
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