A 39-year-old man reportedly attacked another man in a Kent Station shopping center restroom because the man was taking too long using the toilet stall.
The attack occurred early Saturday afternoon, March 12, in the restroom on the east end of Kent Station, 417 Ramsay Way.
“(A 26-year-old man) was using a downtown bathroom, when the suspect, who was angered because he was taking too long, attacked him with a machete,” according to a March 17 Kent Police statement.
The man sustained severe injuries but has been released from the hospital, according to Police Chief Rafael Padilla.
Three Kent officers arrived at the scene within minutes and treated the man. They placed three tourniquets on the victim to stop his heavy bleeding, according to a police statement. Medical aid arrived a few minutes later to take over and paramedics transported the man to a hospital.
Meanwhile, the man with the machete fled the scene before police arrived. A witness came forward to say he watched the suspect flee and gave a description of the event.
A K-9 unit located items that appeared to belong to the suspect, including a weapon that had been tossed on the ground, according to police. A detective located video footage from the shopping center and sent out a photo of the suspect to other officers. Another officer recognized the suspect in the photo from previous arrests and notified detectives of his identity. The suspect did not have a stable address, so locating him became a top priority, police said.
On March 14, police received information about the suspect’s location. Four officers responded to an area that was challenging logistically and dangerous to approach, according to police. They found the suspect, a 39-year-old man, hiding at the location. Even though the suspect was armed when they approached, and other occupants were also armed, the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Detectives are continuing to collect evidence, interview witnesses and put the heavy work into filing this felony assault case with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, police said.
Padilla, in his Public Safety report March 15 to the City Council, said despite the violent incident Kent Station remains a safe place to be. He said police work with the management team at the shopping center and that it recently hired a new security manager.
“We will step up patrols there as well,” Padilla said.
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