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Bellevue police are defending themselves against criticism from neighbors who watched a SWAT team shoot and kill a robbery suspect.

Police Chief Linda Pillo issued a statement (Thurs.) explaining the actions of Bellevue’s tactical team, which moved in on a home in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood March 22nd to serve an arrest warrant.

Neighborhood blog posts claim officers fired 23 rounds at Russell Smith in his car. One neighbor claimed that Smith could not have gotten away because he’d rammed a neighbor’s car and become stuck. He also claimed police had blocked the dead end street, leaving Smith no exit.

Chief Pillo says the SWAT team was dispatched to serve the arrest warrant for robbery because Smith had a history of violence. She says Smith drove in reverse with such force that he pushed a truck several yards. In her statement, Pillo says officers ordered Smith to surrender.

“Instead, he drove directly at the officers. Believing the suspect would run them over rather than surrender, three Bellevue SWAT officers opened fire on the suspect, fatally wounding him,” the statement read. Police would not say how many shots were fired.

Some neighbors complained about being in the line of fire. The chief says the operation was conducted before dawn to minimize impact on the neighborhood and to catch their suspect by surprise. Nobody else was injured.

Bellevue police say the death is the first shooting death by the city’s tactical team since it was formed in 1976.

Seattle police are conducting the death investigation. Results will be forwarded to the King County Prosecuting Attorney and the King County Executive is authorized to order an inquest into the use of force.