Police in Kent, Washington, released a video showing officers shooting a suspect who allegedly randomly attacked an elderly man with a hatchet.
Video footage obtained by KOMO NEWS and published Monday shows officers chasing 30-year-old suspect Paleti Anikesi Veniale on foot. The officers then yell, “Get on the ground!” and “Tase him!” before Veniale runs across a street and appears to wheel around with a knife in his hand. The incident occurred in Dec. 2023.
The video shows one of the officers fall to the ground in front of Veniale before police open fire on the suspect. (RELATED: Bodycam Video Shows Knife-Wielding Man Rush At Cops Before Being Shot)
Newly released video shows police officers shooting a suspect who was wanted for attacking a 71-year-old man at random in a Federal Way park.https://t.co/nVtYVDRJq6
— KOMO News (@komonews) March 15, 2024
Veniale had allegedly attacked a 71-year-old man with a hatchet in Dec. 2023 around Town Square Park, KOMO NEWS reported.
Court records show that Veniale allegedly followed the elderly man around the park before attacking him from behind with the hatchet, allegedly striking him numerous times, including after he had fallen, according to KOMO NEWS.
Federal Way Police obtained pictures of Veniale from Metro bus surveillance cameras shortly after the alleged attack and published them in the Federal Way bulletin, helping Kent police identify him, according to KOMO NEWS.
Court documents showed that Veniale, who was treated for gunshot wounds and released, had a long and violent criminal history and had repeatedly violated release conditions, KOMO NEWS reported.
“The defendant is unlikely to comply with future court orders,” deputy prosecuting attorney Raymond Lee wrote in charging documents. “Furthermore, the defendant faces a standard range including the deadly weapon enhancement of approximately 19.5 to 25 years for this charge.”
Veniale, who was charged with attempted murder in the first degree, is currently being held in King County Jail on a $1 million bond while awaiting his next court hearing, which is slated for June, according to KOMO NEWS.
Prosecutors have cleared the two Kent officers who shot Veniale, the outlet reported.