Seven members of the Kent Police Department recently received awards from the Washington State Patrol for their heroic actions to help save the life of Trooper Raymond Seaburg after he was shot and injured in Kent after pursuing a possible DUI driver, and for catching that driver.
Seaburg, a 21-year veteran with the State Patrol and based out of Enumclaw, was on patrol Feb. 16 in Kent when he spotted and followed a vehicle, which crashed near the intersection of James Street and Washington Avenue. Seaburg notified dispatch the driver fled on foot and he was chasing him, according to Kent Police reports.
Seaburg took the man to the ground in an apartment parking lot, but the man reportedly resisted arrest. After a scuffle, the man shot Seaburg multiple times.
King County prosecutors have charged Jason Joshua Posada with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and firearm theft. He remains in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle with bail set at $3 million.
Posada has a trial date of July 29, but that could be continued if attorneys ask for more time to prepare the case.
Seaburg remains in recovery after his March 5 release from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
“There is no set timetable for his return,” said Chris Loftis, spokesperson for the State Patrol, in a June 18 email.
Seaburg attended the special awards ceremony June 13 at Kent City Hall.
The seven who received awards are:
• Officers N. De Var and L. Bertolacci received lifesaving awards. They began to provide medical aid to Seaburg alongside arriving troopers. They searched for injuries, applied tourniquets, packed wounds with gauze and held pressure until medics arrived, according to Kent Police. They talked to him calmly and kept him alive.
• Officer M. Flesher received an award of merit. Flesher, a K-9 officer, responded to the area after dispatch said the trooper was in foot pursuit. He found the unoccupied State Patrol vehicle in under a minute. He located Seaburg on the ground nearby, critically injured and bleeding. He immediately called for backup officers and medical aid, and then directed others to help secure the safety of the scene.
• Sgt. M. Levi received a district commendation award. Levi arrived quickly and took command of the incident. This included directing medics to Seaburg, monitoring the multiple K-9 tracks of the suspect, calling in and directing personnel where they were needed, monitoring radio traffic and much more.
• Detectives L. Dvorak, L. Brandeberry and D. Yagi received district commendation awards. They interviewed the suspect that night, and then spent hundreds of hours interviewing witnesses, collecting and processing evidence, and following up on all leads. They compiled the packet for charges to be filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The three were acknowledged for the high degree of dedication, professionalism and expertise during the investigation.
“The Kent detectives and officers who received the State Patrol awards will all tell you the same thing if you ask,” according to a Kent Police statement. “Yes, they know their acts saved a life, found the suspect and brought him to justice. But they will want to acknowledge their many unnamed Kent Police co-workers who assisted them that night and during the investigation.
“This was a true team effort led by the seven who received awards. This incident is one of those moments they all train for, and their seamless teamwork is a crucial part of that training.”
In his presentation, State Patrol Assistant Chief James Mjor directed this partial statement to Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla, “…their professionalism is beyond extraordinary….”
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