Press release from SPD Detective Mark Jamieson:

On August 22nd, at approximately 2:00 am, Southwest Precinct officers responded to 46th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Frontenac Street to investigate a reported assault of a taxi cab driver. Officers contacted the driver who stated that the suspect had jumped into his cab while in the Alaska Junction area and told the driver that he didn’t need to go very far. The suspect directed the driver down several streets. During this time the suspect slid in behind the driver in the left rear seat. The driver was grabbed from behind by the suspect and the suspect pressed a stun gun into the victim’s side approximately 3 to 4 times. The driver lost control of the cab and ran into a parked car in the 4600 Block of SW Frontenac Street. The driver and the suspect wrestled before the suspect ran off. The driver chased him to a yard on the street and stopped when the suspect jumped over a fence.

A K9 team responded to the scene and began tracking the suspect. Officers located the stun gun used in the attack. The suspect, a 25 year old male, was located hiding under a parked van several blocks away. He was taken into custody without incident. The driver was able to positively identify the suspect as the one who attacked him.

The victim declined any medical attention at the scene, however, he did have a series of red, raised welts near his belt line above his right hip. The stun gun was placed into evidence and the suspect was later booked into the King County Jail. Officers also completed a collision report.