On Aug. 6, at about 3:35 am a Kent Police Officer was patrolling the area near East Russell and Central Ave South. He observed a truck loaded with pallets that was previously stolen in Tacoma. He recalled that this truck refused to stop for a Kent Officer earlier in the shift.
The Kent Police Department claimed that due to restrictions on pursuits, the first officer was unable to pursue the stolen vehicle at that time.
The Officer and his Sergeant attempted to pull over the stolen truck, but the driver again refused to yield. They followed him into a nearby cul-de-sac where the driver put the stolen vehicle into reverse and intentionally rammed the front of the Sergeant’s patrol car. Despite having enough room to maneuver around, the suspect chose to drive over multiple residential lawns and hit an uninvolved vehicle, while fleeing, causing significant damage, Kent Police reported.
Because the suspect allegedly violently and intentionally rammed the Sergeant’s occupied vehicle, a pursuit was authorized. Kent Officers pursued the vehicle a short distance and used their patrol cars to pin the truck in place when he entered another cul-de-sac. In an attempt to escape, the suspect aggressively rammed the driver’s side of the Sergeant’s vehicle.
Once he made contact, he began revving his engine, driving the truck into the Sergeant’s door. These actions burned a hole in the Police car door while the Sergeant sat trapped inside.
The suspect was reportedly given multiple commands via the patrol car’s public announcement systems to stop, turn off the car, show his hands. He refused.
Eventually, the suspect exited the vehicle and tried to flee on foot but was arrested by Kent Officers who had responded to assist. The suspect physically resisted arrest and a struggle ensued.
The suspect was a 33-year-old Kent man. Kent Police had reportedly arrested him on July 22, 2022 on a King County felony warrant for Eluding Police. He has 31 prior convictions including 8 felonies, 15 gross misdemeanors, 8 misdemeanors and 5 non-classified crimes. His felony convictions include 2 assaults,1 robbery and 3 vehicle thefts.
Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla issued the following statement regarding the incident:
“Just two weeks ago our officers arrested this very same suspect on his felony warrant for Eluding Police Officers. This incident should never had occurred because this offender should have still been incarcerated based on his prior convictions. While some may consider incarceration ineffective or obsolete, the reality is our community has a right to be safe from these violent criminals. We are very fortunate that none of our officers were injured or killed during this arrest. They showed considerable restraint and professionalism during this incident and are to be commended for their actions.”
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