SEATTLE — Seattle SWAT officers arrested a man early Tuesday after he allegedly assaulted a woman and held her against her will inside of her apartment until she was able to escape and flag down police.
According to the Seattle Police Department, officers were flagged down by a 57-year-old woman bleeding from a wound on her head around 1 a.m. in the Chinatown-International District.
The woman told police she met a man who invited her to an apartment near the 1000 block of South Jackson Street. When the man found out that the woman lived in the same building, he put a knife to her throat and tried to get into her apartment, police said.
“Once they were inside he actually assaulted her,” said SPD Public Information Officer Judinna Gulpan.
According to police, the man forced the woman back into the apartment when she tried to escape and threatened to kill her and her son if she reported the assault.
When the man fell asleep, the woman escaped and flagged down police officers. Seattle Fire Department medics treated her for her injuries at the scene.
The 57-year-old man then barricaded himself inside the woman’s apartment, leading to SPD obtaining a search warrant to take him into custody.
SWAT officers arrested the man and booked him into the King County Jail for investigation of unlawful imprisonment, assault, harassment, and other crimes.
“I can’t say definitively if we’re seeing an uptick in crimes against women, but I think it’s just something we need to be aware of,” said Gulpan. “When we’re out there, you know, running errands or just going about your daily business, just being aware of your surroundings and if you’re seeing something, call the police if needed.”
“I think that is just scary, it’s very scary,” said Dominique Tyson, who lives in the area. “I hope she’s okay.”
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