TACOMA, Wash. — A Pierce County judge has dismissed the criminal case brought against a teen charged as an adult in a stabbing at Foss High School in Tacoma.
According to a filing obtained by KIRO 7 News, police found new evidence that supports Waleed Emad Essakhi’s claim he was acting in self-defense.
Officers obtained records from Instagram that, according to the department, show the teens planned to rob him in the days leading up to the incident.
Essakhi has been on home detention pending trial and faced years in state custody if convicted.
According to the filing, prosecutors don’t believe they would be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Essakhi was the initial aggressor or disprove that he acted in self-defense.
The case was dismissed without prejudice. This means charges could be refiled at a later date if new information surfaces.
The incident happened on April 30. Six people were injured.
According to court documents obtained by KIRO 7 News, the security guard told authorities he was in the principal’s office when he heard a call for help in the hallway. He and the principal ran out and saw a staff member and a group of students fighting.
According to the documents, the security guard reached down to try to grab Essakhi but was cut by Essakhi’s knife. The security guard then disarmed him and handed the knife to staff.
The security guard said Essakhi apologized to him.
Essakhi had transferred from Clover Park High School in Lakewood in January. His mother told law enforcement that her son was being jumped and getting into fights, so he transferred for a fresh start. She also said that, according to the documents, she heard the fight was over a vape pen, but said her son was acting normally that morning and didn’t know of any issues he had at school.
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