Suspect Shot By Deputies After Alleged Stabbing That Appeared Religiously Motivated

A suspect was shot by sheriff’s deputies in Washington on Sunday after allegedly stabbing a man and his dog in a seemingly random, religiously motivated attack, officials said.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said a 54-year-old man called 911 at around 6:24 a.m. Sunday to report that he and his dog had been stabbed near the S S Quickstop Grocery in Parkland by an unknown man who fled southbound on Park Avenue South. Deputies arrived to find the victim and his dog in serious condition.

Before the victim was transported to the hospital, he was able to provide deputies with a description of his attacker. He told deputies the suspect approached him to ask his religion. The victim answered, saying “something about being Christian,” at which point the suspect attacked, the sheriff’s office said.

The man’s dog was transported to a local animal hospital and “immediately” went into emergency surgery.

Using a K-9, deputies searched the area but did not immediately locate the suspect. At around 8:40 a.m., a deputy spotted the suspect on the 800 block of 112th Street South, and the suspect allegedly fled behind a nearby home. Deputies followed the suspect and reported shots fired at around 8:47 a.m.

The suspect was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, KOMO reported. The sheriff’s office told the outlet that the suspect was armed with “multiple knives,” resisted arrest and approached deputies before he was shot by “multiple deputies.”

The suspect’s identity was not immediately released.