A Seattle man, identified as Roland Jerome Lee, faces multiple counts of first-degree assault after allegedly carrying out a stabbing spree in the Chinatown-International District on Nov. 8, according to court filings from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The incident left five people injured, with some victims receiving severe wounds that required hospitalization and surgery.
The attacks reportedly began around 1:57 p.m. near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street, with multiple 911 calls from witnesses describing a chaotic scene.
Witnesses reported seeing Lee allegedly approach victims from behind and stab them with a knife.
According to documents, surveillance footage captures Lee stabbing one victim, Edward McParlin, in the back, causing McParlin to collapse.
Police later discovered a knife still lodged in McParlin’s back, which had broken off during the assault.
He was transported to Harborview Medical Center, where he remains under care for severe injuries, including potential spinal damage that has left him temporarily unable to walk without assistance.
Victims include Brandon Worley, who was stabbed four times in the back.
According to court records, Worley saw Lee approach him, initially appearing to make a hugging motion, before suddenly plunging knives into his back.
Worley described feeling a punctured lung, requiring a surgical drainage tube, which has since been removed.
Worley was reportedly in shock, thinking he might die as Lee fled. After attacking Worley, Lee moved south along Jackson Street, where witnesses reported him stabbing three additional people, including Marcus Adams and Garrett Glen. Adams sustained multiple stab wounds in the back, while Glen was found with a neck wound; both required immediate medical intervention.
One witness, Andrew Roberts, followed Lee after seeing him stab Worley and watched as he approached three additional victims standing at the intersection of 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street.
According to Roberts, Lee ran away through a nearby parking lot, discarding knives, both stained with blood.
Officers quickly arrived and arrested Lee with the help of bystanders.
Lee, who had a laceration on his right pinky finger, was reportedly uncooperative during the arrest, declining to provide his name or participate in evidence collection.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office cited Lee’s extensive criminal history in requesting a $2 million bail.
His record includes nine felony convictions within the last decade, ranging from attempted theft to robbery and multiple firearm-related offenses, as well as approximately 30 misdemeanor convictions.
Most recently, he was convicted in 2023 for attempting to rob a man at knifepoint, an incident that led to charges of first-degree robbery.
However, after the victim could not be contacted, Lee’s charge was reduced to third-degree theft, resulting in a sentence of 361 days, from which he was released just four months before the Nov. 8 stabbings.
Prosecutors argued that Lee’s violent criminal record and the randomness of the attacks present a significant public safety threat, noting that substantial bail is necessary to ensure community safety.
They are also seeking conditions of electronic home monitoring if bail is posted.
Lee has been ordered to have no contact with the victims.
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