Police: Washington officer shot 2 men after they tried to steal beer; 1 stable, 1 critical

Investigators comb the scene of an officer-involved shooting Thursday, May 21, 2015 in Olympia,Wash. Police in the capital of Washington state say an officer shot two men in their 20s suspected of trying to steal beer from a grocery store. (Steve Bloom/The Olympian via AP) (The Associated Press)

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Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts, center, speaks to the media about a police-involved shooting as City Mayor Stephen H. Buxbaum, right,and City Manager Steve Hall, left, look on, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Olympia, Wash. Police say that two stepbrothers suspected of trying to steal beer from a grocery store were not armed when they were shot by a police officer who later confronted them. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte) (The Associated Press)

City Mayor Stephen H. Buxbaum, right, speaks to the media about a police-involved shooting as City Manager Steve Hall, left, looks on, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Olympia, Wash. Police say that two stepbrothers suspected of trying to steal beer from a grocery store were not armed when they were shot by a police officer who later confronted them. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte) (The Associated Press)

OLYMPIA, Washington – Police in the capital of Washington state say an officer shot two men in their 20s suspected of trying to steal beer from a grocery store.

Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts said at an early Thursday news conference that both men were shot in the chest and taken to the hospital. He says one man is in stable condition and one is in critical condition.

Roberts says police responded around 1 a.m. to a call from a Safeway, where employees said two men tried to steal beer and then threw the alcohol at workers when confronted and ran away.

An officer spotted the suspects nearby, then reported the shooting soon after. Roberts didn't say what happened or whether the men were armed.

The officer is on administrative leave pending an investigation.