OLYMPIA, Washington — On the night of May 30, 2015, officers were called to a stabbing downtown near the intersection of 7th Avenue and Franklin Street. The victim waved down a patrol officer as witnesses simultaneously called 911 to report the incident. The victim suffered a severe stab wound to his arm and an officer immediately applied a tourniquet while paramedics were in route.
The stabbing occurred after an argument broke out over a spot to sleep. The victim had been staying on a specific couch and maintaining the area as a living space. He found the suspect sleeping on the couch and noticed some of his belongings were missing. After confronting him, the suspect pulled a knife and the victim walked away in search of his belongings. When he returned to gather the rest of his property, the suspect attacked him with the knife. The victim used a broom to defend himself before the suspect ran off.
Witnesses said the suspect and victim were arguing when they saw the suspect make a stabbing motion and heard the victim scream. The suspect then fled and they chased after him. When they couldn’t catch him, they called 911 and also flagged down an officer.
The victim was initially taken to St. Peter’s Hospital, but was transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Doctors later informed OPD that the tourniquet ultimately saved the victim’s life. If he had gone any longer, he would have suffered an arterial bleed out and death.
On Monday, June 1st, a witness of the original incident saw the suspect at Ralph’s Thriftway and tipped off law enforcement to his location. Thirty-year-old Ryan Wolf was arrested and booked at the Thurston County Jail for Assault 1st.
