A founding member of the Federal Way Police Department, Mississippi sheriff’s deputy Lt. Michael Boutte, was killed in the line of duty while responding to a call on Feb. 1.<\/p>\n
Boutte, 57, responded to a call involving a suicidal subject in the town of Necaise, Mississippi. As he exited his patrol car, he was shot and critically wounded. Another deputy responded, shooting the 30-year-old suspect<\/a>.<\/p>\n Boutte was airlifted to a hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he later died from his injuries. The suspect was also airlifted to the Louisiana hospital and will be extradited to Mississippi to face charges soon.<\/p>\n Federal Way Police Chief Andy Hwang notified Federal Way department members of Boutte’s death in a Feb. 2 email.<\/p>\n Boutte was hired as a patrol officer in Federal Way on Nov. 12, 1996, Hwang said. Federal Way became an incorporated city in 1990 and formed its own police department six years later after contracting for services with the King County Sheriff’s Office.<\/p>\n After five years with Federal Way, Boutte continued his law enforcement career in Mississippi where he served various agencies for 20 years, including eight years with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office as a police lieutenant.<\/p>\n Boutte was also a U.S. Air Force veteran and previously served with the U.S. Marine Corps civilian police.<\/p>\n Boutte was a husband and a father to two adult children. Hwang noted Michael’s daughter, Jessica, reached out to him.<\/p>\n “Jessica described her father as a man who loved being a police officer, a man who dedicated decades of service to our profession, and a man who was loved by all who knew him,” Hwang wrote.<\/p>\n To honor a fellow officer killed in the line of duty, all Federal Way Police Department members will wear the mourning band until Sunday, Feb. 14.<\/p>\n “We thank Lt. Mike Boutte for his service, bravery, and making the ultimate sacrifice to protect others,” Hwang told the Federal Way Mirror newspaper. “We thank him for choosing a life of honor and integrity.”<\/p>\n