Patient escapes from Washington’s largest psychiatric hospital
Jun 4, 2025, 5:56 PM
Photo of a Lakewood Police Department vehicle in front of its police headquarters. (Photo courtesy of Lakewood Police Department)
(Photo courtesy of Lakewood Police Department)
Lakewood police are searching for a patient who escaped from Washington’s largest psychiatric hospital, Western State, Wednesday morning.
“This particular person is there because of a criminal history. Assaults,” said Sergeant Charles Porche, who confirmed the man is under “civil commitment” at the hospital.
Porche did not know the specifics of the man’s case but said civil commitment means a person cannot be criminally prosecuted because of his mental state.
Patient who escaped Washington psychiatric hospital not believed dangerous
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Even so, Porche does not believe the patient, who’s been at Western State for about two years, is a danger to the public.
“They’ve reported no aggressive behaviors from him while he’s been there,” he shared.
It’s unclear why the man ran off.
Police describe him as a 5-foot-10, Hispanic man, wearing a black jacket and gray sweats.
Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.
