Suspect identified in Grays Harbor County courthouse attack

Investigators in Grays Harbor County have identified the suspect in Friday’s courthouse stabbing and shooting that injured a deputy and judge. Police say the suspect, 34-year-old Steven Daniel Kravetz, may currently be with his mother, identified as Roberta Dougherty, 58.

The Sheriff’s Department says they believe Kravetz called his mother shortly after attacking a judge and deputy inside the Grays Harbor County Courthouse in Montesano, Wash. on Friday. Dougherty picked up the suspect around 3:00 p.m. and drove him away from the scene, possibly to the Olympia area.

A team that included the State Patrol as well as officers from five counties has made “significant headway in identifying the suspect,” Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rick Scott said of the statewide manhunt late Friday night. “We believe we have some good leads.”

Grays Harbor County had issued a warrant for Kravetz’ arrest for a domestic violence incident between 2005 and 2007, but Scott said it is not clear why the suspect was in the courthouse.

“No one recognized this person as having any legitimate purpose at the courthouse,” Scott said. “He obviously was dressed to fit in with people who would be at the courthouse on legitimate business. You know, relatively nice clothing and was carrying a briefcase.”

Deputy Polly Davin and Grays County Superior Court Judge David Edwards were taken to the hospital after confronting the man Friday afternoon.

Davin was stabbed with either a small knife or scissors after responding to a report of a suspicious person at the courthouse. The judge intervened by striking the assailant, who then stabbed him, authorities said.

Davin reached for her gun, but it was wrestled away by the man, who shot twice, striking her in the shoulder before fleeing, Scott said.

“He doesn’t know me and I don’t know him,” Edwards told reporters Friday night from his home, saying the attacker was a stranger.

The judge said he was on the third floor of the courthouse when he saw the deputy being attacked on the first floor and ran to help.

“He had a weapon in his hand, a knife or something, and he was stabbing her, and that’s what I got stabbed with,” Edwards said.

After the shooting, the judge said the attacker turned and looked at him and ran out the door with the deputy’s gun.

“I’m OK, she’s OK, that’s what’s important right now,” Edwards said.

Based off a tip, a SWAT team stormed a house where the suspect was believed to be. A half-dozen officers in camouflage uniforms took cover after tossing a device inside that exploded with a cloud of white smoke. The home was empty.

The attack comes less than three months after Edwards had joined a lawsuit filed over county budget cuts he said were making the courthouse less safe. The courthouse is not equipped with a metal detector and there was no on-site security on Friday, Scott said.

“Our courthouse is one of the few of its size that doesn’t have full-time security,” he said. “We just had a discussion about courthouse security less than a week ago. The need for that is certainly illustrated by situations like this.”

The judge put it even more bluntly, saying, “You can’t get less security than we have.”

Judge Edwards and Deputy Davin were treated and released from a hospital hours after the attack, which prompted a lockdown of the small town of about 4,000 residents. The lockdown on schools was later lifted, but afterschool activities were canceled.

The Washington State Patrol has described the suspect as a white male, about 5’10” to six feet tall with sandy, brown hair. He was wearing black pants and button-down blue shirt at the time of assaults.

Authorities say the getaway vehicle was a silver Ford Focus with Washington plate AEX8372.

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This is a developing story.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.