Blind man attacked and stabbed in Seattle, SWAT called

SEATTLE — A blind man was attacked and stabbed over the weekend, seemingly unprovoked, prompting a high-risk response from SWAT teams in Seattle.

Around 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 11, Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers responded to an assault in the 5200 block of Rainier Avenue South, in the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle. The incident reportedly occurred on the 4th floor of a residential apartment complex, near the elevators.

There, patrol officers found a 60-year-old man bleeding and suffering from a stab wound to his abdomen, and complaining of pain in his head. He was treated by the Seattle Fire Department and transported to Harborview Medical Center in serious, but stable condition.

According to SPD, “The victim is blind and was struck feloniously in the back of the head by the suspect with his own walking cane. When he attempted to defend himself from the suspect, he was stabbed with a ‘three to fourth inch [switch] blade.’ The victim stumbled backwards and cried out for help. Bystanders called 911. The investigating officer reviewed video evidence of the assault and described it as ‘horrific.’”

Police say a woman was initially detained due to misinformation, but she was quickly determined to be a witness to the incident, not a suspect.

A 47-year-old man, identified as the primary suspect, retreated to his residence and refused to exit when directed by law enforcement. Police negotiators arrived to assist with his surrender, yet the suspect continuously refused to exit his residence.

SPD issued a search warrant that was quickly approved by a judge. Due to the felony assault and the weapon used, SPD’s SWAT Team was deployed to serve the ‘high-risk warrant’ and arrested the suspect.

The man was found to have a switchblade knife, believed to be used to stab the victim. He had two other knives that were also seized, and was arrested on two counts of second-degree assault and booked into King County Jail.

The primary officer later updated his probable cause for the stabbing from second-degree assault to first-degree assault, saying, “After this incident was complete, I learned that [the victim] was in surgery for a laceration to the liver. Based on the location and severity of injuries from a deadly weapon, [the suspect] violated RCW 9A.36.011 Assault in the 1st Degree for the stabbing.”

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