Man arrested after pursuit, gunfire, standoff closes Highway 167

KENT, Wash. – A pursuit in Kent on Saturday ended in gunfire on Highway 167, closing the highway for a time and injuring the suspect.

It was the end of a series of events in Kent and Auburn that had numerous people claiming to have a gun pointed at them by the suspect, had police in both cities and the regional SWAT team involved, and completely closed Highway 167 for a time.

Kent Police Cmdr. Jarod Kasner said that the situation began around 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, when a report came in that the driver of a white Honda threatened another driver with a “machine gun” in Kent. However, police weren’t able to find the suspect car in the area that was given as a location.

The next situation happened in Auburn a little after 3:30 p.m. It was the same as the earlier incident in Kent, where a “machine gun” was reported to have been pointed at a car by the driver of a white Honda. Auburn police found the car, and started a pursuit after the car went through a stop sign. But, according to Kasner, the pursuit was called off when it went into Kent and Auburn police decided it wasn’t safe to go further.

About an hour later, a third driver reported having a gun pointed at them by the driver of the white Honda, this time near the Fred Meyer SE 240th Street. Not long after, Kent police spotted the suspect’s car at the intersection of James Street and Central Avenue, and confirmed that the description matched the ones from the earlier incidents.

That’s when a pursuit started north on Central Avenue, with the suspect car and police heading to Highway 167 and the interchange at 84th Avenue South. Kasner said that officers executed a PIT maneuver on the northbound on-ramp from 84th onto Highway 167, with the driver of the Honda losing control and it flipping over.

Kasner said that as officers approached the Honda, shots were heard from inside the car. Officers returned fire, and a standoff began. That standoff, and the worry about more shots being fired, led authorities to close Highway 167 as a safety precaution. Members of the Valley SWAT team arrived at the scene, and after some negotiations, the suspect was taken from the Honda and into custody.

The suspect was then taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds to his arm and other injuries from the PIT maneuver, Kasner said. None of the officers involved were injured, and those who fired shots during the incident have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Valley Investigation Team. Kasner said that was standard procedure when officers have to use their guns.

Highway 167 was reopened after it was determined that it was safe for traffic to go through the area. However, the closer caused backups that stretched into Renton and Auburn, causing significant travel delays. The northbound on-ramp from 84th onto Highway 167 was closed into Saturday evening, as the investigation into the crash and its aftermath continued.