Mentally ill man tried to run police down with stolen car, gets shot

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2012/07/deputy-involved-shooting-in-seatac-this-morning/

A man was shot and wounded by a King County sheriff’s deputy after he allegedly beat and robbed a man inside a SeaTac mosque, then tried to run over deputies with a stolen car, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindi West.

A man who went into the mosque to pray just after 8 a.m. apparently startled a man who was sleeping, West said. The sleeping man jumped up and started attacking the man.

The suspect, who is known to deputies as someone with documented mental illness, took the victim’s wallet and car keys, West said. She said he stopped punching the victim and fled after ”the victim was able to distract him by throwing a bag at him,” West said.

Deputies quickly arrived and were met with the sound of a car starting up behind the mosque. One deputy had to jump out of the way because she heard the vehicle “gunning it” toward her, West said.

The deputy ”was running for her life,” West said. At least one deputy fired at the suspect’s car.

The suspect then drove through a tent set up behind the mosque for meetings and flipped the car onto its roof after striking a neighbor’s fence, West said.

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, West said.

“We have documented mental health issues with this guy. This is an example of why mental health funding is important,” West said.

Deputies do not believe the assault in the mosque was a hate crime.