Verbal argument between Lacey cousins allegedly ends in stabbing

What started as a verbal argument between two Lacey men ended in an alleged stabbing and an arrest.

According to reports by several Lacey police officers, Dear K Shuru, 20, was arrested on Jan. 16 after a reported stabbing in the 4600 block of 45th Avenue.

The stabbing victim, Shuru’s cousin, told police that the two of them were having a verbal argument that eventually grew into a physical altercation in the parking lot in front of their apartment. He did not specify the cause of their disagreement.

The cousin said he and the suspect were throwing punches at each other when Shuru allegedly pulled out a knife. He added that he attempted to grab the weapon from the suspect, but was unsuccessful, and got stabbed. Shuru then took off down the road.

A responding police officer noted that the cousin’s right forearm was wrapped in paper towels “soaked with blood” due to a small laceration near his elbow. The officer added that the scene had “a trail of blood which led to the dining table.”

Three witnesses, all relatives of the two Lacey men, separately confirmed to police that the two had a fight outside the apartment and that Shuru had a knife in his hand. However, none of them saw the stabbing.

The suspect, meanwhile, initially told police that he was not at the apartment when the alleged incident occurred. He later retracted this statement and confirmed that he was at the scene but insisted he was not aggressive with his cousin.

Shuru said he walked away from the apartment to avoid further conflict and that he had a knife in his pocket the whole time but did not use it.

The suspect was booked at the Thurston County Jail for aggravated assault.