PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man who police say strangled and used a knife on a woman during a domestic violence assault was arrested with the help of a Port Angeles police dog.
Police booked Kyle Birmingham, 20, into the county jail Wednesday afternoon for investigation of one count of felony harassment and one count each of second-degree and fourth-degree assault, both domestic violence-related.
He was no longer in jail Thursday afternoon. His bond had been set at $5,000.
Police were called to a home in the 1700 block of McDonald Street in west Port Angeles to the report of an assault at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sgt. Jesse Winfield said.
Birmingham allegedly had assaulted a woman he knew at the home and then left on foot before officers arrived, Winfield said.
Alleged strangulation
“He was alleged to have strangled [her] and used a knife against her,” Winfield said, though he declined to offer any more detail.
“I can tell you she’s OK.”
Winfield said the woman was “approximately the same age” as Birmingham.
Police searched the surrounding area for Birmingham but didn’t find him, Winfield said.
About three hours later, Winfield said police were told Birmingham had returned to the home, triggering a search involving Officer Lucas DeGand, K-9 partner Bogey and four other officers.
Bogey tracked Birmingham to an outbuilding on the property within about 20 minutes, Winfield said.
He surrendered without incident after initially defying police orders to come out, according to Winfield.
He attributed the threat of allowing Bogey to bite or “make contact” with Birmingham to his surrender.
“He was about to have that happen, and then he gave up,” Winfield said.
________
Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
