A suspect who was being taken into custody for the disappearance and presumed murder of Filipino American Alexis Gabe was fatally shot by police officers in Kent, Washington, on Wednesday.
Identified as the victim’s ex-boyfriend, 27-year-old Marshall Curtis Jones was killed inside an apartment in the 3500 block of South 222 Place as the Pacific Northwest Violent Offenders Task Force was serving an arrest warrant at around 5:45 p.m.
The task force was composed of the Seattle Police Department, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service.
According to a press release from the Oakley City Manager’s Office, law enforcement officials opened fire at Jones after he charged at them with a knife.
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A $100,000 reward has been offered to anyone with information that could lead to her whereabouts. The recent press release is the first official statement of Gabe’s case as a homicide.
Gabe reportedly visited Jones’ home on the night she went missing. Her abandoned car was found along a street in Antioch, California.
During a press conference on Thursday, Oakley Police Department Chief Paul Beard said Jones was charged with murdering Gabe, noting that there was ample “digital and forensic” evidence that linked Jones to Gabe’s disappearance.
Speaking to reporters in the same press conference, Gabe’s father said her family did not want Jones to die.
“We wanted him arrested to pay for his sins,” he said. “We wanted to meet with him face to face. We didn’t want him dead. We wanted to look him in the eye and ask him why, ask him where is Alexis. I know police are saying that our daughter is gone, but our daughter will remain alive in our minds and in our hearts. We will continue to search for her until we find her.”
Seattle Police Department Detective Valerie Carson said that although paramedics provided medical aid to Jones, he was pronounced dead at the scene. She noted that none of the officers were harmed during the incident.
Carson also said that an investigation into the shooting will be headed by the Seattle Police Department. During the investigation, she will be placed on paid administrative leave.
“We owe that to the public,” Carson was quoted as saying. “We do it as thoroughly as we can. It does take a long time with these investigations but we do release the findings.”
