Seattle Police Officers and Carjacking Suspect Attacked by Swarm of Wasps During Foot Chase



Newly released bodycam footage reveals a dramatic encounter in Seattle, where a swarm of wasps attacked several police officers and a 22-year-old attempted carjacking suspect during a brief foot chase in a wooded area.


The incident occurred in the East Queen Anne neighborhood on August 13, as officers attempted to arrest the suspect. According to the Seattle Police Department, the officers and the suspect disturbed the insects while in a greenbelt area.


In the video, one officer can be heard exclaiming, "Yellowjackets everywhere, dude," while others shouted about being stung by the insects.


The pursuit commenced after officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a male suspect armed with a knife attempting to carjack several vehicles in the East Queen Anne neighborhood around 6 p.m. Witnesses reported that the suspect was blocking traffic to stop vehicles and make carjacking attempts, causing significant damage to some vehicles as they passed.


Officers eventually located the suspect in a tunnel beneath Aurora Avenue North on Dexter Way North. However, the suspect managed to evade the officers, leading them into the wooded greenbelt area, where the wasp attack occurred.


Afterward, officers successfully extracted the suspect from the brush and returned to street level, where an ambulance was waiting. The bodycam footage captured officers offering the suspect a bottle of water.


Both the injured officer and the suspect were transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment. Subsequently, the suspect was booked into a King County Jail for investigation on charges of assault, property destruction, and attempted robbery.