DASHCAM: Police shoot suspect armed with knife at Seattle's Kerry Park, man yelled 'please kill me'
SEATTLE - A scary scene unfolded at a popular Seattle landmark Saturday afternoon. Police shot a suspect near Kerry Park, after he came at them with a weapon.
John Walz says he was walking towards his motorcycle around 2 pm, when shots rang out.
“I saw the cop first, and didn't see the guy until the cop started yelling drop the gun.”
Beverly Multerer says it was the officer’s yelling that first caught her attention too.
“I looked down the street and I could see a guy walking this way, it looked like he did have a weapon.”
Beverly says she got nervous, so she tried to get out of the way.
“I ducked behind the brick building and just as I did, shots were fired, a volley of shots.”
John says from what he saw, officers had no choice but to open fire.
“The guy was obviously not stopping, he was coming at the cops, and he made more than one attempt at fighting with them, and was obviously advancing towards them with a weapon. So yes, they definitely did the right thing.”
Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole was seen with investigators, who are now reviewing the incident to see if the right thing was done.
They identified the suspect as 31 year old James Linwood Slade, who was wanted for escaping from DOC community custody. They say he had a knife and was suspected in an attempted car theft not far from the park.
Francine Fenton says it looked like an attempted carjacking to her. She took a picture after seeing the suspect crash an Audi into another vehicle, then run off. She says he appeared to be mentally ill or on some kind of drugs.
“He was talking to himself, yelling, crossing the street, not crossing the street.”
Newly released dashcam footage shows one SPD officer shoot Slade, as he moves toward them with what appears to be a knife.
Warning: video contains graphic language
After he is hit by gunfire, police said Slade stood up and climbed into the driver's seat of a patrol car.
Officers subdued him with a taser and administered first aid until paramedics arrived.
A force investigation team will review the case, like they do with all officer involved shootings in Seattle.
Police say Slade was taken to the hospital with critical injuries, but is expected to survive.