Seattle police arrest suspect in knife attack after anti-Sharia rally thanks to Q13 News viewer tips

SEATTLE --  June 15, 2017

Seattle police have arrested a suspect accused of cutting a man with a knife after protests on Saturday. Detectives say she was identified by Q13 News viewer tips to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound. She was taken into custody early this morning by North Precinct officers and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Assault.  Q13 News is not naming the suspect until she is officially charged later this week.

The victim who asked not to be identified for his safety was part of a politically conservative group rallying in downtown Seattle against Sharia law -- one of more than 25 such demonstrations across the U.S. last Saturday. As he walked back to his car, he says three people started harassing him.

"I tried to deescalate the situation as best I could and that’s when I was attacked," he said.


Detectives say one of them grabbed his phone when he started videotaping them and head-butted him in the nose before pulling a knife on him. He was cut in the arm and the blade glanced his neck.

“By the grace of God, I got her to the ground. I just pinned her there with the knife in her hand as she tried to get it up and stab me with it. That’s when another one came from behind me and started choking me. My only intent was to try to make it back to the car and that’s when I got attacked," he said. 

Seattle police say the suspect's image was caught on the cellphone video.