A Kent Police officer fatally shot a man after a foot pursuit Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 24 in the 27200 block of 33rd Place South.
The man was reportedly armed with a knife, according to a Kent Police news release. Police did not release a hometown or age of the man, who died at the scene.
Officers responded at about 12:19 p.m. to a report of a suspicious circumstance, according to police. Two men left a vehicle in the driveway of the 911 caller’s residence. The men reportedly said they were out of gas and walked off to the Chevron service station at South 272nd Street and Military Road South.
Officers learned the vehicle left in the driveway had been reported stolen. Officers confronted the men and one of them fled eastbound on foot, according to police. Officers pursued the man into a nearby neighborhood.
While officers closed the distance in an attempt to apprehend the man, an officer relayed over the radio that the man had a knife, according to police. The man continued to run from the officers, running behind a house in the 27200 block of 33rd Place South.
Officers caught up to the man, and a short time later an officer aired that shots were fired, according to police. Officers began lifesaving efforts until Puget Sound Fire and King County medics arrived to take over, but the man did not survive.
Police did not release any details about what led the officer to fire at the man with the knife.
No officers were injured during the incident, according to police. In compliance with standard protocol, Kent Police placed the officer who fired his gun on paid administrative leave. Police did not release how many shots were fired, the name of the officer or how many years he has been with the department.
Officers took the other man into custody without incident and arrested him for a pre-existing traffic warrant.
The Valley Independent Investigation Team was called in to conduct the investigation of the shooting. Port of Seattle detectives have been assigned as the lead investigators.
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