TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma police are searching for a suspect who stabbed a woman in Point Defiance Park on Saturday afternoon.
Shortly before 1 p.m., police responded to the 5500 block of Five Mile Drive in Tacoma for reports of a stabbing, according to Tacoma Police Department Public Information Officer Shelbie Boyd.
The woman was walking on marked trails when an unknown man stabbed her, police said. Boyd says the woman is expected to survive.
The suspect ran away through the trails after the stabbing and has not yet been located. Police are continuing to search for the suspect, Boyd said.
Because the park was busy on Saturday, police K9s were unable to track down the suspect.
Metro Parks Tacoma Deputy Director Joe Brady says they are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars more on private security than before the pandemic. He said the contract was around $100,000 a year and is now near $1 million.
“Point Defiance is an attraction that attracts millions of people a year. Busy zoo, it’s got a high school that’s actually inside of the park itself, so we have a great number of attractions to bring people to have a great experience there, but that also comes with its inherent risks as well,” Brady said.
MPT and Tacoma police urge visitors to be aware of their surroundings while at the park and to report anything suspicious if they see it.
The park closed early on Wednesday but reopened during normal hours on Sunday. The park sent KING 5 a statement that read:
"We are committed to safety in our parks, which is why we’ve added security emphasis patrols. In addition, we’ve contacted our security camera providers to request cameras be placed at the Pearl Street entrance and at the intersection behind the zoo maintenance building. The cameras are expected to be in place within the next few days."
In 2023, a woman was grazed by a bullet during an attempted armed robbery inside Point Defiance Park in May. A few months later in July, a 9-year-old girl was shot during a drive-by shooting in the park and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Metro Parks Tacoma has closed Point Defiance Park for Saturday, according to a social media post from the agency.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
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