KENT, Wash. — A suspect accused of attacking an elderly man with a hatchet in Federal Way was shot by Kent police officers on Saturday morning, according to the Kent Police Department (KPD).
Around 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 23, officers found the suspect near the 24800 block of Pacific Highway South, according to KPD.
The suspect ran away from police and during the chase, the suspect “pulled out a knife and reared it back in a position above his head to stab one of the Kent officers,” according to police.
Officers then shot the suspect, who is a 30-year-old man. First responders attempted life-saving efforts and the man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition, police said.
Before this morning’s shooting, the Department of Corrections issued an escape warrant for the man. He is suspected of violently and “randomly” attacking a man in his 70s with a hatchet at a Federal Way park on Thursday, Dec. 21.
The elderly man remains in critical condition at Harborview, according to hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg.
In a new release, the Federal Way Police Department (FWPD) said they believe this suspect is the man from Thursday's attack.
“Right now, everything points to this as our suspect,” FWPD Deputy Chief Kyle Sumpter said. “We will release details of the suspect’s identity at the appropriate time. We are thankful no officers were injured today.”
Police said they found a knife at the scene on Saturday. The two officers who shot the suspect were not injured and have been placed on administrative leave, according to the police department.
Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell praised the FWPD Special Operations Unit (SOU) for its swift action and the involved Kent police officers for locating the suspect, adding that the officer who shot the suspect "deserves heroic credit."
The Valley Independent Investigation Team is investigating the shooting.