Investigators say the victim reported the attacker asked his religion before the assault near a neighborhood market.
PARKLAND, WA — A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man Sunday morning after a stabbing left a 54-year-old man and his dog seriously injured near a convenience store in Parkland, authorities said. The suspect ran through nearby yards before deputies confronted him behind a home, where multiple deputies opened fire.
Deputies first took the call at 6:24 a.m. on Jan. 25, when the victim reported he had been stabbed by a stranger near the S S Quickstop Grocery on Park Avenue South. The wounded man told responding deputies the assailant approached, asked what religion he practiced, and attacked after hearing he was Christian. The suspect also stabbed the victim’s dog before fleeing on foot. The victim was taken to a hospital in serious condition, and the dog was rushed to an animal hospital for emergency surgery. An area-wide search continued for more than two hours as patrol units and a K-9 team canvassed blocks south of the store.
By 8:40 a.m., a deputy conducting an area check spotted a man matching the suspect’s description near the 800 block of 112th Street South. The man ran behind a residence and, according to the sheriff’s office, ignored commands and moved toward deputies while armed with knives. Shots were reported at 8:47 a.m. The sheriff’s office later said more than one deputy fired. “Deputies encountered an armed suspect who refused to surrender,” Sgt. Charles Porche, speaking for the regional force investigation team, said at the scene. “A confrontation followed that resulted in the suspect being shot.” Medics were called, but the man died where he fell behind the home, officials said.
Detectives said the victim’s account included a brief exchange about religion moments before the stabbing, and investigators are working to verify that sequence with evidence and any surveillance video from nearby businesses. Officials did not immediately release the suspect’s name, age, or hometown, saying next-of-kin notifications were pending. The sheriff’s office said the victim, 54, was attacked steps from the store entrance and gave deputies a description that helped direct the neighborhood search. Neighbors reported seeing patrol vehicles, a K-9 unit, and a drone overhead as the manhunt stretched through alleys and side streets. The dog, described by witnesses as medium-sized, remained hospitalized Sunday; its exact condition was not released.
Residents along 112th Street South said they woke to sirens and loudspeaker commands as deputies established a perimeter. Christopher Dotson, who lives nearby with his family, said the morning felt “on edge.” “We’re looking for a route out of here,” Dotson said in an interview at the scene. “It’s better to be somewhere safe, and kids can ride scooters and come out and do normal kid stuff without having to worry about who’s going to get shot.” Others said the block has seen more disturbances over the past year, though reliable crime tallies for the immediate area were not available Sunday. Several homes’ security cameras faced the alleys where deputies searched; detectives said they planned to seek any recordings.
Deputies said they recovered multiple knives near the suspect after the shooting. It was not immediately clear whether those knives matched the weapon used in the initial attack. The sheriff’s office also did not say how many rounds were fired or from how many deputies’ service weapons, citing the ongoing review. Standard procedure in Pierce County calls for involved deputies to be placed on administrative leave while the Pierce County Force Investigation Team, a multi-agency unit, gathers statements, videos, and physical evidence. That team assumed control of the case within hours, and crime-scene tape stretched across several backyards into the afternoon.
Authorities have not yet said whether they are treating the stabbing as a potential bias-motivated crime. Washington law defines a hate-crime offense as one motivated by the victim’s perceived or actual protected status, which includes religion, and such cases typically trigger additional charging considerations if an arrest is made. In this incident, with the suspect deceased, detectives said they are still piecing together motive from witness accounts and any records or digital traces. Officials emphasized that the early timeline—an encounter at 6:24 a.m., the sighting at 8:40 a.m., and gunfire at 8:47 a.m.—will be a central part of the review.
Investigators spent much of Sunday documenting the original scene near the S S Quickstop Grocery, where the sidewalk showed signs of a struggle, and later processed the yard where the shooting occurred. Detectives canvassed the area for additional witnesses and requested surveillance footage from homes and businesses along Park Avenue South and 112th Street South. The sheriff’s office said it would release the suspect’s identity once the medical examiner confirms it and family is notified. No deputies were reported injured. The victim’s hospital did not provide an immediate update on his condition beyond “serious.”
The Pierce County Force Investigation Team is expected to brief the public after preliminary interviews and evidence reviews are complete. Any deputy-worn body camera footage, where available, will be compiled as part of that process, officials said. The sheriff’s office said administrative leave decisions for involved personnel would follow policy once initial statements are taken. If additional witnesses or video emerge, detectives plan to add those materials to the case file and determine whether further searches or lab analyses are needed. A timeline for releasing additional details was not announced Sunday.
As investigators worked, neighbors trickled back onto porches, comparing notes about the morning. Some brought blankets to a family who said they were kept out of their home while detectives photographed the yard. A store clerk said he arrived to find squad cars lining the block and learned that a customer had been attacked earlier. “It was just chaos,” he said. A woman walking her own dog paused at the tape line and shook her head. “It’s scary,” she said quietly, declining to give her name. By late afternoon, the street reopened to local traffic, though the back lot behind the house where the confrontation ended remained sealed off with markers dotting the grass.
As of Sunday evening, officials said the victim and his dog remained under medical care, the suspect’s identity was still being confirmed by the medical examiner, and the force investigation team was collecting interviews and video. Further updates were expected after evidence processing and next-of-kin notifications early this week.
Author note: Last updated January 26, 2026.