Kent Police shoot, injure man who rams police vehicles

A Kent Police detective shot and injured a 33-year-old man at about 2:57 p.m. Thursday in the 14900 block of Southeast Kent Kangley Road on the East Hill after the man reportedly tried to flee by ramming police vehicles with his vehicle.

“We tried to apprehend him, he resisted arrest, tried to flee and the detective shot the suspect,” said Kent Police spokesman Jarod Kasner in a statement to the media.

Detectives were looking for the man who had outstanding felony warrants for narcotics and a state Department of Corrections escape, according to a Kent Police media release.

Detectives made contact with the suspect who was seated in a vehicle. The suspect resisted arrest and attempted to flee by using his vehicle to ram police vehicles, according to police. The confrontation resulted in the suspect being shot two times.

Once officers had control of the suspect they immediately initiated life-saving efforts to stabilize him until medics arrived. Paramedics transported the man to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for further treatment.

The involved officer was not injured in the incident. Police are not releasing the officer’s name at this time, but he has been with the department for 18 years. He has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure for officers involved in critical incidents.

Chief Rafael Padilla requested The Valley Investigative Team to conduct an independent third-party investigation into the shooting because it involved a Kent officer.

Kent Kangley Road is also known as Southeast 272nd Street and State Route 516. Police closed Kent Kangley Road shortly after the shooting between 144th Avenue Southeast and 152nd Avenue Southeast as detectives investigated the shooting.