Suspect in Chinatown-International District stabbings ordered held on $2M bail

SEATTLE — The suspect arrested in connection to multiple stabbings in the Chinatown-International District (CID) appeared in court Saturday for his first appearance and was ordered held on a $2 million bail.

According to a press release from a spokesperson with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Saturday afternoon, Roland Lee, 37, the suspect arrested Friday in connection to five stabbings in the Chinatown-International District appeared in court for his first appearance.

In court, a King County senior deputy prosecutor asked the court to find probable cause for five counts of first-degree assault and hold him on $2 million bail. The defense asked the court for a lower amount.

The court, after hearing from prosecutors and defense, found probable cause for five counts of first-degree assault and ordered Lee held on $2 million.

As of Saturday afternoon, the spokesperson said a case had not yet been referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for a charging decision.

Lee remains in the King County Jail. The investigation is ongoing.

What happened in the Chinatown-International District?

On Friday, multiple law enforcement agencies from across the City of Seattle responded to the latest incident at 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street intersection in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. A spokesperson with the department said that five people were stabbed.

Each of the victims’ wounds vary from a minor cut to a severe stab wound, he said.

Four victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment in critical condition, one of them still had the knife in his wound when paramedics arrived. One man was upgraded to serious in the center’s ICU Saturday morning, and two others remain serious in the ICU. The fourth victim remains satisfactory.

One victim didn’t need treatment and was released.

Police only recovered one knife used in the incident and no other weapons were found at the scene.

This mass casualty incident is connected to five other separate stabbings that happened between Nov. 7 and 8, the spokesperson said. In total, there have been 10 different stabbings in a variety of locations, wounding nine men and one woman, within two days.

How is the Chinatown-International District impacted by these incidents?

“The randomness, the level of violence it’s concerning,” the spokesperson said, driving King County prosecutors to hold Lee accountable.

It’s really difficult for people to live and visit the CID. They want to know that they’re safe.

Safety has been an ongoing issue for a nearby Taiwanese kitchen located at 12th and Jackson Street.

“No customer feels safe in here, so I always need to lock the door,” Henry Ku, restaurant owner, said.

Ku said the stabbing rampage was scary … but not a surprise.

“I already know that happens ... a lot of crime. Every day have a crime, not just one day,” Ku said.

He also said it’s hard to convince people to come inside his restaurant and eat.

“Do you see?” he asked. “Today, we have no customers.”

The restaurant only has two employees otherwise Ku would have to shut down, he said.

Instead of retiring at 70 years old, Ku said he maintains his business to help those facing hardship.

“I still try to fight to change it ... help everybody,” Ku said.

“People who live in and travel to the Chinatown-International District deserve to feel safe and be safe, and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will continue to do its part to bring necessary accountability,” King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said Saturday afternoon.

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