Investigators are reviewing body camera footage, recovered knives and witness statements from two linked scenes on 112th Street South.
PARKLAND, Wash. — Pierce County detectives on Sunday opened parallel investigations into a stabbing that critically injured a 54-year-old man and his dog and the subsequent deputy-involved shooting that left the suspected assailant dead after a neighborhood search.
The sheriff’s office said the attack began just after daybreak near the S S Quickstop Grocery, where the victim told deputies an unknown man approached, asked about his religion and then stabbed him and his dog. Medics took both to local hospitals in serious condition; the dog underwent emergency surgery. Deputies saturated the area with patrol cars and a K-9, moving south along Park Avenue South and across nearby blocks. After more than two hours, deputies encountered a man they said matched the suspect’s description near 112th Street South and 8th Avenue Court South. When he ran behind a home and allegedly advanced while armed with knives, deputies opened fire. The man was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Detectives said they recovered multiple knives at the second scene. Officials did not immediately say how many deputies fired or how many rounds were discharged. The sheriff’s office withheld the names of the deceased man and the injured victim pending notification and interviews. Investigators emphasized that the motive remains under review. They noted the reported question about religion as a detail they will examine alongside physical evidence and video. The initial call for help was logged at 6:24 a.m. At 8:40 a.m., a deputy reported a sighting of the suspect; at about 8:47 a.m., shots were reported. Those times form the backbone of the early timeline, according to the agency.
The Force Investigation Team, a multi-agency group that probes police shootings in Pierce County, took control of the case within hours. Its work includes collecting body-worn and dash camera video where available, pulling video from businesses and doorbell cameras along 112th Street South, and mapping the suspect’s route from the market to the backyard where the confrontation ended. Evidence technicians marked shell casings and photographed footprints through damp grass behind the home where deputies said the suspect ran. Separately, detectives plan to re-interview the victim once doctors permit, seeking more detail about the initial confrontation and the phrasing of the religion question.
Sunday’s scenes unfolded along a corridor of small shops, gas pumps and single-story homes with alleys and fenced yards. Workers opening nearby businesses described a rush of sirens shortly after sunrise and a grid search that moved car to car with a K-9 team leading. One resident said she heard commands to drop a weapon before the gunfire. Another said deputies spread out behind fences as a helicopter circled. Animal hospital staff confirmed emergency treatment for a dog consistent with stabbing injuries and said the animal’s condition was guarded pending surgery results.
Under agency policy, deputies who fired will be placed on administrative leave during the inquiry. The medical examiner will identify the deceased and determine cause and manner of death. Prosecutors will review the Force Investigation Team’s report after it is complete, a process that typically takes weeks. If investigators find evidence that bias was a factor in the attack, prosecutors could consider a hate crime enhancement under state law; officials cautioned that it is too early to draw conclusions. Investigators also plan to confirm whether the suspect and victim had any prior contact. Early indications suggest they did not.
By Sunday evening, crime scene tape still blocked part of 112th Street South as detectives finished documenting the yard and a nearby driveway. At the market, workers scrubbed the sidewalk where medics treated the victim hours earlier. Officials said more information, including the number of deputies involved and any preliminary ballistics findings, will be released after initial interviews are complete and the medical examiner confirms identification.
Authorities said the next formal update is expected after the medical examiner’s notification and the Force Investigation Team’s first briefing early this week. Investigators continue to gather video and witness accounts tied to both the stabbing and the shooting.
Author note: Last updated January 26, 2026.