Kent Police arrested an armed shoplifting suspect on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 after a foot pursuit that ended with the recovery of a loaded handgun, suspected drugs and stolen identification.
The incident began Sunday at around 3:22 p.m., when employees at a business in the 26000 block of 104th Avenue SE (map below) reported that two men had shoplifted merchandise and fled on foot.
Officers Mendoza-Chavez and De Var located the pair, but one suspect escaped. The second suspect, a 24-year-old Maple Valley man, was detained with stolen items and identified by store staff.
During the interview, the man told police that his companion had run toward a nearby bus stop. Officer Hamilton, searching the area near the 10300 block of SE 256th Street, spotted several people loitering near a “no trespassing” sign. As he approached, one man bolted across traffic, forcing vehicles to stop.
Hamilton ordered the man to stop, but he continued to run into traffic before fleeing on foot.
“The suspect seemed to think he was getting away but had badly underestimated both Officer Hamilton’s speed and persistence,” Kent Police said in a statement.
The man, identified as a 51-year-old with more than 10 prior felony convictions, looked back, panicked, and pulled a silver handgun from a fanny pack before dropping it into nearby bushes. Officers took him into custody after a struggle and recovered the loaded firearm, along with a bag of bullets, suspected methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and stolen ID and credit cards.
Police said he faces charges for unlawful firearm possession, drug offenses, trespassing, disorderly conduct, and obstruction. Additional charges may follow pending the investigation into the recovered IDs and the firearm’s history.
“Great job by the business in giving such a quick and detailed description,” the department said, adding a “special shout out to Officer Hamilton whose fast feet got the armed suspect into custody.”
