A domestic violence suspect who fled from Kent Police and later barricaded himself inside a commercial building in Auburn is presumed dead following a fire that broke out during a standoff with law enforcement on Tuesday evening, April 8, 2025.
Police said the incident began around 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, when officers responded to a report of a domestic assault involving a firearm at an apartment in the 5500 block of S. 259th Street in Kent.
Before police arrived, the 51-year-old Kent man fled the scene in a black pickup truck.
Officers located the vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect fled at a high rate of speed. Police pursued briefly but terminated the chase out of safety concerns, officials said.
Later in the day, officers tracked the suspect to his workplace in the 1520 block of W. Pike Street in Auburn. Auburn Police and Kent officers surrounded the building, believing the suspect was still armed. Negotiators attempted for several hours to get the man to surrender, but he refused to comply.
After obtaining an arrest warrant, the Valley SWAT Team (VSWAT) assumed control of the scene. Officers deployed a series of tactical tools—including drones, flash bangs, and chemical munitions—but were unsuccessful in compelling the man to come out.
As VSWAT officers began clearing the interior of the building, a fire broke out, rapidly escalating and forcing officers to retreat. Fire crews responded but were initially limited in their ability to fight the flames due to the ongoing safety risk posed by the suspect.
The building was eventually fully engulfed in flames. Investigators believe the suspect was the only person inside and may have perished in the fire, though confirmation is pending until it is safe to enter the structure.
The Independent Force Investigation Team (IFIT) has been called in to conduct a full investigation. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Further updates will be provided by IFIT as the investigation progresses.
