KENT, Wash. — Police are searching for a man who they say invaded a home in Kent with people inside, assaulted an officer when discovered and escaped.
Police were called to reports of a threat and suspicious circumstances at 3:40 p.m. at a home in the 4300 block of South 217th Street. They got a call from someone inside the home about a juvenile girl who was involved.
Two Kent officers entered the home, found a girl, later identified as being 15 years old, and got her to come out of a room, police said. When she came out, she pointed and gestured, indicating the suspect was still inside the room.
The suspect took an officer’s gun during the fight, but the gun was recovered.
Police said officers found the suspect hiding in a closet. He jumped out when officers opened it and started fighting, which is when the officer was assaulted, authorities said. The officer was punched in the face and suffered a cut on his hand but is OK, according to police.
The suspect ran down the stairs and dropped his firearm on the stairwell as officers chased him, and officers lost him during the chase, police said.
Police said a K-9 and officers from other agencies helped to search for the suspect, but they could not find him.
After additional interviews, police said they found out the man rang the doorbell and asked the girl if her parents were home. Then he forced his way in and demanded to know where gold and money were, police said.
A person renting a room at the home thought something was suspicious when hushed tones were heard, and that is when the person called 911, Kent police Cmdr. Robert Hollis said.
Hollis said they don’t know if the girl was held at gunpoint.
The investigation is ongoing.
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