Federal Way police strike armed suspect during drug robbery | Update

Published 4:01 pm Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Federal Way police are investigating a drug deal gone bad after a patrol officer struck a suspect with his vehicle yesterday.

According to Federal Way police, at 1 p.m. on July 14, a uniformed patrol officer was driving a fully marked police car on Dash Point Road in the 3200 block when a masked adult male darted from Dumas Bay Centre area toward the officer.

The suspect was carrying a handgun.

Believing an armed robbery had just occurred, the officer thought he was about to be fired upon and struck the suspect with his patrol car.

An adult male joined the suspect but fled on foot when he saw the officer. The second male was located nearby by other responding officers and taken into custody for questioning. He has since been released, pending further investigation.

No shots were fired and the officer was uninjured.

The suspect who was struck by the vehicle confessed to robbing a drug dealer just prior to police contacting him, said Cathy Schrock, police spokeswoman. He is being treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be booked when released from the hospital.

The drug dealer, being termed the “victim” by Federal Way police, has not yet been identified.

Two handguns were recovered at the scene and the Valley Investigation Team is investigating the circumstances.