A Kent Police officer fired six shots at a 24-year-old Renton man following a short foot pursuit after the man allegedly fell to the ground and attempted to get up and come towards the officer with a large knife in his hand.
That’s the latest details revealed about the Oct. 24 fatal shooting of Eduar Velasquez, according to a Nov. 2 press release from the Valley Independent Investigative Team. The officer is a 27-year-old man who has been employed by the Kent Police Department since 2022 and has been a certified officer since 2017, according to the report. The report did not release the name of the officer.
Prior to being fatally shot, Velasquez was filling up a gas can at a Chevron station with another man when he fled on foot. Officers, in response to a stolen vehicle call, approached the men about the incident. Officers took the other man into custody without incident.
Officers pursued Velasquez in the area of South 272nd Street and Military Road South, according to police. Shortly thereafter, shots were fired by police. Aid was provided, but Velasquez died at the scene.
Police initially responded to a 12:15 p.m. call about a suspicious vehicle, which Kent officers discovered was reported stolen. Investigators recovered the F-250 Ford diesel truck and a can filled with diesel the men were filling up at the gas station.
The officer was the only one to fire his weapon, according to the report. The report did not list how many officers were chasing the man.
The Valley Independent Investigative Team, led by the Port of Seattle Police, said it will eventually deliver its case to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for review and determination of charges, if any. The team said it will release weekly updates about the case until the conclusion of the investigation.
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