Kent Police chased down and arrested a 19-year-old Tukwila man in an armed robbery early Wednesday morning.
No one was hurt in the officer-involved shooting.
Kent officers were dispatched around 2 a.m. to an armed robbery in progress at the ARCO gas station at 1809 W. Meeker St. Two handgun-armed males, wearing masks, robbed the clerk of money and merchandise, according to a Kent Police news release.
A witness reported that the suspects got into a red sedan to leave the area westbound on West Meeker Street. Kent officers received information that there may have been a third suspect in the vehicle, but that has not been confirmed at this point.
A Kent officer located a red sedan leaving the area at a high rate of speed with a driver and passenger, matching the description of the robbery suspects. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the suspects accelerated and a pursuit ensued. The chase ended when the suspects drove into a residential neighborhood and crashed into a tree near Military Road South and South 296th Street in Federal Way, police said.
The suspects began to flee on foot and, during this time, the officer fired one shot at one of the suspects. The suspect was not hit, but immediately stopped and surrendered. The other suspect continued to run away, police said.
Responding officers were able to take the Tukwila man into custody without further incident. He was arrested for investigation of first-degree robbery and eluding, said Kent Police spokesman Jarod Kasner in an email.
Other responding officers, including Federal Way officers, set up a perimeter and conducted a K-9 track for the second observed suspect, but were not successful in locating him.
The 21-year veteran Kent officer was not injured and has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol, police said.
Police, having obtained a video of the robbery from the gas station, are hoping someone may be able to provide information as to the identity of the suspects. Detectives are also investigating the possible connection to other recent robberies in the area and surrounding jurisdictions.
“The video from the gas station clearly shows that robbery suspects in this incident had little regard for the lives of the store clerk and any potential bystanders as they brazenly pointed their guns to intimidate and threaten.” said Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla. “I’m relieved that no one was injured or killed in this incident and that our officer took the necessary action to get these dangerous criminals into custody.”
Padilla has enlisted the assistance of the Valley Investigation Team to conduct an independent investigation of the officer- involved shooting.
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