Kent Police said two men were arrested Sunday morning after officers found them unconscious in a car containing fentanyl and a stolen firearm in downtown Kent.
Officers were called around 6:50 a.m. to a business on Washington Avenue South after a 911 caller reported an attempted vehicle theft.
The caller told dispatchers he had video of the suspects trying to break into his car and had followed them to the location.
He pointed out the suspects’ car to police when they arrived.
When officers approached the vehicle, they saw the driver and two passengers passed out inside.
Drug paraphernalia and what appeared to be a rock of fentanyl were visible through the windows, police said.
The fentanyl was in the lap of the front passenger.
Concerned that the occupants might be under the influence and that the driver could pose a danger if he woke and tried to leave, officers waited to wake the man until tire deflation devices were in place and a patrol car was positioned behind the suspect vehicle.
The driver, a 30-year-old man from Chehalis, was compliant when officers woke him and got out of the car as instructed.
Police said he appeared sluggish but cooperative.
Officers later found fentanyl in his pocket, and he was booked for possession of illegal narcotics.
The 43-year-old male passenger from Kent refused to get out of the vehicle and made repeated hand movements, which police said raised concerns that he might have a weapon.
After several commands to exit, officers tried to remove him from the car.
He continued to resist, and while struggling with officers, they found a 9mm handgun in his pocket.
The gun had been reported stolen in Everett in August 2025.
After a prolonged struggle, the man was taken into custody.
He was booked on a Department of Corrections escape warrant, four counts of possession of legend drugs, and possession of a stolen firearm.
Police said he will also face a charge of resisting arrest.
A female passenger was detained but later released without charges.
In a statement, Kent Police said the officers’ deliberate actions and training helped prevent the situation from escalating.
“This type of incident can go very wrong for our officers, but they slowed down, restricted the movement of the vehicle, had the appropriate gear to handle the job, and had extra officers present,” the department said. “All good decisions that protected the community and the officers.”
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