Criminal of the year: Police catch suspected burglar after he shoots himself in head during escape

Seattle police arrested an alleged burglar on Wednesday after the suspect shot himself in the head while trying to escape apprehension, KCPQ-TV reported.

What happened?

A man in northwest Seattle told police that he heard sounds coming from his garage around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.

When he entered the garage, he spotted a masked man. The burglar then took off, and the homeowner chased after him with a broom. The suspect ran to a van that was parked in a nearby parking lot. Once inside the vehicle, the suspect pointed a gun at the victim and told him to back away.

The victim complied and turned around, but heard a gunshot several moments later. The van then sped away.

When the victim returned home, he called 911 and told police what happened. Once law enforcement arrived at his property to process the scene for evidence, patrol officers heard over their radios that a man had just arrived at a local hospital after being shot in the head. When officers went to the hospital, the man with the gunshot wound fit the description of the burglar.

"Police believe the suspect accidentally fired his handgun while climbing into his van, striking himself in the head," the Seattle Police Department explained. "Officers also learned the suspect’s van was reported stolen and had been used in another crime outside of Seattle."

To make matters worse, the suspect is a convicted felon, thus he was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The suspect's name was not released. But once he recovers from his injuries, law enforcement said he will be arrested on charges of burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm, felony harassment, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Anything else?

Like most major American cities, Seattle is facing crime wave.

Murders are up. Robberies are up. Aggravated assaults are up. In fact, the crime situation is so bad in Seattle that 30 decades of progress are swiftly evaporating, the Seattle Times reported.

Part of the problem is the Seattle Police Department is down nearly 400 officers as a result of the "defund the police" campaign, and the city is so far unsuccesful at improving law enforcement morale.