Kent Police fatally shot a 20-year-old Seattle man early Wednesday morning on the East Hill after he reportedly tried to drive off in a vehicle while dragging a K-9 officer and his dog.
Officers responded at about 12:04 a.m. to a violation of a domestic violence no contact order at a business in the 23600 block of 104th Avenue Southeast, according to a Kent Police media release.
Police arrived and attempted to make contact with the suspect, who had violated the domestic violence court order three times over the last couple of days – two violations occurring within the last 24 hours. The man ran from officers as they attempted to apprehend him. A K-9 officer and his dog were on location and were deployed to assist with the apprehension.
The man ran to the vehicle he was driving, which was a reported stolen vehicle, and started the engine. As officers tried again to take the suspect into custody, he started to drive off, dragging the K-9 officer and his dog.
Two officers fired at the man, striking the suspect multiple times. The man was declared dead following immediate life-saving efforts from officers and medical personnel. The K-9 officer and his dog sustained minor injuries.
As of Wednesday, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office had not yet released the identification of the Seattle man.
Police later discovered that the man had an active felony warrant for his arrest as well as other misdemeanor warrants, one for domestic violence.
While the scene was being secured, two men broke through the crime scene tape, disregarding warnings by officers, and one man had to be tackled, taken into custody, and booked into the city of Kent jail. The other man left the area.
The Valley Investigative Team, led by the Renton Police, will handle the investigation. The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave which is standard policy with officers involved in critical incidents.
Kent Police have fatally shot four men in the last 10 months. The previous three fatal shootings were:
• June 24: Giovonn Joseph-McDade, 20, of Auburn, died from multiple gunshot wounds after he reportedly tried to use his vehicle to run over an officer following a short pursuit on the East Hill after Joseph-McDade didn’t pull over for a traffic stop for expired tabs and vehicle registration. King County Executive Dow Constantine ordered an inquest last week into the shooting. Inquests are fact-finding hearings conducted before a six-member jury. A date for the inquest has yet to be set.
• March 23: William Stokes, 51, was shot and killed by a Kent Police officer outside of a Des Moines home. Kent Police assisted Des Moines Police on the call. Stokes reportedly was armed with a machete and had a hostage inside. Stokes refused commands to put down the machete. The officer felt threatened at one point, fired his gun and killed Stokes. The case remains under investigation by the Valley Investigative Team.
• Oct. 16: Patrick Reddeck, 38, was fatally shot in his home after two Kent Police detectives and an officer arrived to execute a search warrant. The police officers told Auburn Police investigators that Reddeck displayed a gun. Constantine ordered an inquest in May into the shooting. The inquest is set for Oct. 23 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
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