Early Friday in downtown Kent, what started as a routine patrol stop turned into a short, chaotic encounter when police say the driver of a suspected stolen Kia deliberately slammed into a marked cruiser. The collision on Willis Street near the SR‑167 on‑ramps left a patrol vehicle damaged, but officers reported no injuries. Investigators later said the driver admitted there were drugs in the car and acknowledged having outstanding warrants.
According to a post by the Kent Police Department, Officer Toledo‑Blanco was on routine patrol at about 12:34 a.m. when he spotted a Kia with no license plate or temporary tag. Police said the car had a broken window and matched the description of a vehicle that had fled from a traffic stop earlier in the week. Once the driver appeared to notice the patrol car, officers said he ran a red light, started straddling lanes, hit the brakes abruptly and then intentionally drove into the side of the police vehicle.
How officers say the encounter unfolded
Other officers were already moving into the area and were clearly visible to the suspect when they stopped the Kia without further incident, according to iLoveKent. The outlet reports the driver first acted as if he was going to pull over, then accelerated, swerved across lanes, and ultimately slowed before striking the patrol car. In a post‑Miranda interview, the driver allegedly told investigators he took the Kia after seeing it parked with a broken window and claimed the passenger was not present when he first took the vehicle.
Warrants, drugs and impound
In its Facebook post, Kent Police said the driver, identified as a 41‑year‑old Kent man, was arrested and booked into the King County Jail. According to the department, he had a $35,000 warrant in King County for possession of a stolen vehicle, hit‑and‑run and two counts of reckless driving. Police said the driver admitted there was methamphetamine inside the Kia, which was impounded while officers seek a search warrant. The passenger, a 50‑year‑old Kent woman, was taken to the Kent Jail after officers discovered she had more than $10,000 in outstanding Kent warrants.
Local context on vehicle theft
Auto theft remains a stubborn problem across the region, and local detectives frequently team up with neighboring agencies to track down stolen vehicles. Recent targeted operations around Kent and nearby cities have recovered several cars and led to arrests. The Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force has detailed those recoveries and joint investigations in the area, according to the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force, which underscores why officers move quickly when they spot suspicious or unregistered vehicles. Local officials say the goal is to slow theft trends and get stolen property off the streets.
Kent Police shared photos of the damaged patrol car and the Kia in their Facebook update, and local coverage also featured those images, according to iLoveKent. The department has not released further information about potential charges, pending the results of the vehicle impound process and search‑warrant review.
