This browser does not support the Video element.
Kent, WA store clerk killed in shoplifting incident, suspect arrested
Kent police say they've arrested a man who was accused of stealing from a smoke shop, then purposely hitting and killing a shop clerk who tried to stop him.
KENT, Wash. - Kent police say they've arrested a man who was accused of stealing from a smoke shop, then purposely hitting and killing a shop clerk who tried to stop him.
Police say the victim is a 58-year-old man from Covington. He was killed outside the EZ Smoke Shop on Pacific Highway South.
What we know:
Kent police say the clerk was hit here in this parking lot outside the EZ Smoke Shop.
Investigators say he was trying to stop the man from leaving with the merchandise without paying.
A worker we talked to at the EZ Smoke Shop says the parking lot outside the smoke shop was the scene of a dramatic assault on September 16th.
Police say it was around 7:52 p.m.when they got the 911 calls. They say that the man from Kent was first accused of trying to take items out of the store without paying.
The employee we spoke with said security video showed the suspect without a mask, taking what looked like a lower value or small item or items without paying.
Police say the clerk ran out after him and confronted him. The man is accused of refusing to return the merchandise. After a brief altercation in the parking lot, police say the man intentionally struck the clerk in a vehicle.
The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment for critical head injuries and later died.
His co-worker said though he wasn't on shift with the victim at the time, it was a very sad situation, and he's still shaken up by it.
The owner of a nearby deli says that theft is an all-too-common occurrence for businesses here.
"Every day it’s $50-$40 taken," says the owner of the nearby deli.
He says sometimes, the same suspects return again and again.
"Every day, they are just here taking food," said the owner. "Too much, these people come in here."
In a neighborhood where kids can be seen at play, residents say it's fortunate nobody else was hurt.
Police say the suspect is a 28-year-old from Kent. He was arrested without incident in Kent's East Hill area. Police say charges are expected in the coming days.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX SEATTLE
How WA authorities found Travis Decker's possible remains
Bomb squad called to disarm explosive coconut at WA park
4 soldiers killed in WA helicopter crash near JBLM identified
Annual report ranks Seattle-Tacoma among worst airports in US: See the list
Ed Sheeran coming to Seattle's Lumen Field in 2026
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Kent Police Department and original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.