Two shoppers were left injured outside a South Tacoma convenience store Thursday after a pair of pit bulls allegedly went after customers near the entrance, according to court documents. Surveillance video and charging papers describe a chaotic scene at the Speed E Mart and show the dogs biting at least one shopper before the man walking them drove off with the animals, investigators say. Police and animal-control officials are still working through the evidence as the case moves forward.
What happened
Investigators say surveillance footage shows the defendant, identified as Chad Manu Alexander Kaaihue, walking a dark gray pit bull and a white pit bull near the store’s front doors shortly before the confrontation. The dogs, which were not on leashes, can be seen barking at people passing by, according to charging papers.
Prosecutors say the dark gray pit bull bit one customer on the hand or wrist outside the entrance, then bit the same person again inside the store. Another customer was hit in the mouth with a metal wrench and lost a tooth, court documents state. Tacoma Fire Department crews treated both injured people, who then walked about two blocks to St. Joseph Medical Center for further care.
An officer who followed Kaaihue reported that he left the gas station in a gray Pontiac G6 with the dogs inside. Animal control later took custody of the pit bulls on South Martin Luther King Jr. Way, as reported by KING 5.
Police response and animal-control role
Tacoma officers arrested Kaaihue after determining there was probable cause for assault. Animal-control personnel then secured the two pit bulls, placing them in quarantine for evaluation.
Metro Animal Services and similar agencies typically take the lead on follow-up investigations in dog-bite incidents. They coordinate medical and behavioral checks on the animals while police focus on any criminal allegations, according to The News Tribune.
Charges and legal details
Pierce County prosecutors have charged Kaaihue with two counts of second-degree assault, one count of fourth-degree assault, second-degree animal cruelty, obstructing a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. In the charging documents, prosecutors list a dog as the alleged deadly weapon in one of the second-degree assault counts and identify a cut metal wrench as the alleged weapon in another, as reported by KING 5.
Defendant's record
Public court records show that Kaaihue has prior assault convictions and previously challenged part of his sentence on appeal. A 2019 opinion from the Washington Court of Appeals details those earlier cases and confirms his full legal name and history. That opinion is available through the court’s records from the Washington Court of Appeals.
Case status
With charges now filed, the case is moving through Pierce County’s court system. Animal-control officials are holding the two pit bulls for evaluation, and investigators say the probe remains open while they review surveillance footage and interview witnesses about what happened outside the South Tacoma store.
