Seattle police are actively searching for a suspect who reportedly struck an officer with a vehicle before fleeing and ditching the car near Denny Park on Thursday afternoon.
The incident began around 1:39 p.m. in the 2000 block of 15th Avenue West in Interbay, where store employees and bystanders spotted a man asleep in a running vehicle. After multiple attempts to wake him were unsuccessful, police were called to the scene.
According to investigators, when officers approached the car to check on the man, he suddenly woke up and drove off, striking one of the officers in the process. The officer sustained minor injuries and is expected to recover.
The suspect then drove south into the Westlake area, crashing into several parked vehicles and scooters near the intersection of Terry Avenue and Lenora Street. He later abandoned the vehicle in a nearby alley and fled on foot.
Seattle officers, with support from a King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, launched an extensive search in the South Lake Union neighborhood but were unable to locate the man.
Police say the vehicle he was driving had previously been reported stolen and has since been recovered and towed.
The suspect is described as a man in his 30s, last seen wearing a grey flannel shirt, blue jeans, and carrying a teal backpack.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Seattle Police Department as the investigation continues.
