Officer Kristine Fairbanks was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious vehicle on FS Road 2880 on the Olympic Peninsula, in Washington state. She had radioed the Washington State Patrol dispatch that she would be checking on a van with no license plates at 2:40 pm.
When dispatchers were unable to reach her, troopers were dispatched to check on her and found her suffering from a single gunshot wound. Her K9 partner had not been released from her patrol vehicle and was uninjured.
The suspect fled the scene and later murdered a man while stealing his truck. At approximately 9:30 pm, he encountered two Clallam County deputies at a convenience store and was killed in the ensuing shootout.
Officer Fairbanks had served with the United States Forest Service for 22 years. She is survived by her husband and 15-year-old daughter.
