Maple Valley police officer hit by car while responding to fake kidnapping call

By DENNIS BOX
COVINGTON REPORTER

A Maple Valley police officer was hit by a car at about 5 p.m. Tuesday during the investigation of an apparent kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy, which turned out to be a hoax.

The 22-year-old officer was transported to Harborview Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. He was released later that night.

According to an e-mail from Sgt. John Urquhart, spokesman for the King County Sheriff's Office, the incident began because the boy had received an "F in math."

Urquhart wrote the boy ran away from home because his parents were "getting on him over grades."

After running away, the boy made up the kidnapping story.

The officer was on the scene in the 18600 block of Maple Valley Highway for the kidnapping report when he was struck by a 2008 Ford Taurus driven by a 47-year-old Issaquah man. The driver was not injured and has not been cited for an infraction.

Urquhart added King County detectives interviewed the boy extensively and his story began to make less and less sense.

At about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday the boy confessed to his parents and they called the sheriff's office.

According to the sheriff's office the officer struck by the car is very sore today and will require some follow-up treatment.

He has been with the King County Sheriff's Office for two years.

This article was originally published in the Covington Reporter on January 13, 2010.