PORT TOWNSEND — Two people were separately airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle following a stabbing late Sunday night and an ensuing manhunt that ended Monday morning, according to a news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Ryan N. Rodrigues, 42, of Port Hadlock was arrested in the 8600 block of state Highway 20 late Monday morning after he was told to drop his knife and began stabbing himself.
Deputies used stun guns to stop the man from inflicting further harm on himself before he was airlifted to Harborview on Monday, the release stated.
A 42-year-old Port Hadlock woman who was reportedly stabbed was said to be conscious when she was airlifted Sunday night.
The incident began Sunday when law enforcement responded to a report of a woman who had been stabbed several times in the neck by a man at Jacob Miller Road and state Highway 20 in Port Townsend, according to the release.
A K-9 unit was called in to track Rodrigues, who was reported to be Latino, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds and wearing a white T-shirt and cargo pants.
On Monday morning, Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies and Port Townsend police officers responded to a possible sighting in the 8600 block of state Highway 20 near Seton Road, the release stated.
They arrived and saw Rodrigues flee into thick brush along the highway but were unable to talk him into coming out. However, once he emerged, Rodrigues refused to comply with deputies’ commands to drop his knife.
Since Rodrigues was wanted on probable cause for first-degree assault and he was armed with a knife, deputies deployed “less than lethal” 40mm foam rounds, attempting to get him to drop the knife, according to the release.
Those attempts were unsuccessful and Rodrigues began stabbing himself in the neck and throat in an apparent suicide attempt, the release stated.
Stun guns were deployed and Rodrigues stopped harming himself.
Law enforcement officers then approached Rodrigues, took away the knife and began providing medical attention until East Jefferson Fire and Rescue personnel arrived. He was then airlifted to Harborview.
The conditions of Rodrigues and the woman were unknown Monday.
The case was turned over to the Washington State Patrol for further investigation.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at brian.gawley@soundpublishing.com.