KENT, Wash. — Kent Police officers have arrested a suspect connected to a 2023 assault investigation after receiving an alert from an automated license plate recognition (ALPR) system, according to the Kent Police Department.
The case dates back to November 8, 2023, when officers responded to reports of gunfire at a business in the 25600 block of 104th Avenue SE. Police said an armed suspect was found standing outside a Subway restaurant and was accused of pointing a loaded firearm at the store and its employees. After a five-hour standoff involving Kent officers, K-9 units, Valley SWAT, and negotiators, the suspect was taken into custody without incident. Employees were safely evacuated, no injuries were reported, and a loaded weapon was recovered.
The suspect, then a 25-year-old Renton resident, was charged with Assault in the First Degree and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree. Authorities said he was later released on bail but failed to appear in court, prompting a $50,000 warrant for his arrest.
In December 2025, Officer Thomas received a Flock Safety ALPR alert for a vehicle registered to the suspect while on an unrelated call on East Hill. Police determined the vehicle’s registered address was nearby. An arrest team was assembled and approached the residence, where the suspect was located standing in his driveway and taken into custody without incident.
The now 27-year-old suspect was booked into jail on the outstanding warrant. Kent Police credited the use of technology combined with coordinated follow-through for the successful arrest.