Officers with the Kent Police Department rescued a suspect from a burning vehicle following a pursuit Saturday evening, Mar. 28 that began with an alleged assault at a downtown Kent grocery store, according to police.
Police said Sgt. T. Clark was patrolling near the Washington Avenue Safeway when dispatch reported a man assaulting the store manager. As Clark responded, dispatch advised that the suspect was leaving the scene in a Honda.
Clark spotted the vehicle exiting the parking lot and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled. Sgt. Lontz joined the pursuit, which traveled along Reiten Road. Officers deployed stop sticks in the 25800 block of 104th Ave SE (map below), damaging one of the vehicle’s tires, but the suspect continued driving.
The suspect later misjudged a turn, crashed through a chain link fence and went down an embankment. Officers arriving behind the vehicle saw a fire starting under the hood and used fire extinguishers from their patrol cars to put out the flames.
While some officers worked to extinguish the fire, others attempted to access the vehicle and remove the driver, whose condition and whether he was armed were unknown at the time. Police said the damage to the vehicle, including deployed airbags and crushed doors, prevented officers from extricating him.
Firefighters with Puget Sound Fire cut the suspect, a 39-year-old Kent man, from the vehicle. Medics transported him to a local hospital. He was unconscious but breathing when first contacted and did not appear to have significant injuries, according to police.
Officers said it became apparent during treatment that the suspect was under the influence of alcohol. A judge later authorized a warrant to determine his blood alcohol level.
Police said the incident began when the suspect attempted to purchase beer at the Safeway, but employees refused the sale after believing he was intoxicated. The man became irate, acted aggressively toward a clerk and assaulted the 21-year-old store manager. Police said video evidence corroborated the manager’s account.
The suspect faces charges that include DUI, eluding and offenses related to the assault and attempted theft of alcohol.
Several officers sustained minor scrapes and bruises while climbing into the ravine during the rescue.
Photos courtesy Kent Police Department.
