Video: Seattle Police, Suspect Stung by Wasps During Carjacking Arrest

Sept. 22, 2023

While trying to arrest a 22-year-old man who attempted to carjack multiple vehicles with a knife, Seattle police officers, as the suspect, were attacked by a swarm of wasps.

Joe Vince

The arrest of an armed man who tried carjacking multiple vehicles last month became a painful experience for the suspects and the responding Seattle police officers.

The incident happened shortly after 6 p.m. Aug. 13 when Seattle police received several 9-1-1 calls about a knife-wielding suspect attempting to carjack vehicles, the department stated in a news release. Victims accused the man of blocking traffic before trying to take vehicles, causing significant damage to multiple vehicles as they passed.

Police caught up with the suspect in a tunnel that ran under a street, and officers arrested him in a nearby greenbelt area. That's when officers and the suspect were attacked and stung several times by a swarm of wasps. The strange and painful encounter was recorded on an officer's body camera and released Thursday by police.

The 22-year-old suspect was taken to the hospital and then booked into King County Jail for investigation of assault, property destruction and attempted robbery. An officer also was taken to the hospital for a laceration suffered during the arrest.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.