Kent Police arrested a suspect on Friday afternoon, Jan. 16, 2026 after an 18-year-old man was stabbed inside the Kent Library and drove himself to urgent care for treatment, according to police.
Officers were dispatched at about 1:41 p.m. to a downtown medical location after a 911 call reporting a stabbing. While officers were responding, dispatchers learned the incident occurred at the Kent Library and that the victim had left the scene and driven to urgent care. Police were also told the suspect had fled the library on foot.
Multiple officers responded to the urgent care clinic, the library and surrounding areas. The victim, a Kent resident age 18, was contacted at the clinic and treated for a deep stab wound to his arm that was not life threatening, police said. He told officers the suspect became confrontational while inside the library, then suddenly walked toward him and stabbed him once in the arm before leaving the building.
The victim said he did not know the suspect and there was no prior dispute beyond the suspect acting agitated, police said.
A library security guard told officers the suspect had been in the library on previous occasions and had not caused problems before. The guard did not witness the stabbing but said he heard the suspect raise his voice shortly before both men left the building and believed he had calmed him down. Library staff did not initially realize an assault had occurred, police said.
Library staff quickly provided a photo of the suspect, which officers shared with patrol units searching the area.
Officer Rojas located the suspect in the Metro Transit Station parking lot shortly after receiving the photo, police said. The suspect, a man age 37 from Centralia with ties to Bonney Lake, was taken into custody without incident.
During an inventory of the suspect’s belongings, officers found two sheathed daggers, two sets of brass knuckles, a collapsible baton and a folding knife with what appeared to be fresh blood on the blade, police said.
The suspect admitted being at the library but denied the assault, according to police. He was booked into the King County Jail. Kent detectives completed paperwork requesting charges of second degree assault and possession of dangerous weapons.
Kent police said coordination among dispatchers, patrol officers and library staff helped quickly identify and locate the suspect, particularly as he was in an area with heavy foot traffic and bus access.
