UPDATE Dec. 23, 2023 2:39 p.m.: Kent Police closed Pacific Highway from S. 240th to S. 250th due to a police shooting of a knife-wielding male suspect on Saturday morning, Dec. 23, 2023.
Police said that just before 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, Kent Officers located an Attempted Murder Suspect wanted out of Federal Way, in an area near 24800 Pacific Highway South (map below).
The suspect ran from officers when they attempted to contact him. During the foot chase, the suspect pulled out a knife and reared it back in a position above his head to stab one of the Kent Officers. At that point officers opened fire, hitting the suspect.
Officers began life-saving efforts right away, which was taken over by firefighters and medics who arrived a short time later. The suspect, a 30-year-old Seattle man, was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition. A knife was located at the scene where the male had been on the ground.
Prior to Saturday morning’s incident, a Department of Corrections Escape Warrant had been issued for the suspect. Kent Officers were also acting on information from Federal Way Police, in which the suspect was wanted for a violent attack on a 71-year-old male in Federal Way that occurred earlier this week. The victim in that incident had to be taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The officers involved in this incident were not injured. Both officers will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol for an incident like this.
The Valley Independent Investigation Team was called-in to conduct the independent investigation.
