Chief Gil Kerikowske told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Monday that it's not a matter of whether suicide bombings will happen in the U.S.

"It truly is a question of when that could occur," he said.

In the next few months, Seattle police officers will begin training in ways to combat possible suicide bombers, Kerlikowske said.

Officers showed reporters the department's new bomb squad operations truck and an upgraded robot that could pick up possible explosives.

Specialists from Israel will be brought here to teach Seattle officers more about suicide bombers.

Some tactics dealing with possible suicide bombers have already been used by Seattle police.

When a man stormed the federal courthouse last month with a grenade and a backpack strapped to him, an officer shot the man in the head instead of the chest to avoid triggering any explosives the man might have been carrying.

Kerlikowske said the public can play a key role in preventing a suicide bombing. He urged people who see something suspicious to call police.