Patriot Brief

  • What Happened: A Washington man and his dog were stabbed after a suspect asked about his religion and attacked when he said he was Christian.
  • Why It Matters: Authorities are examining whether the assault was religiously motivated and how it escalated so quickly.
  • Bottom Line: The suspect later confronted deputies and was fatally shot after resisting while armed with knives.

A routine stop at a Washington grocery store turned into a nightmare after a man was stabbed multiple times when a stranger asked about his faith and did not like the answer.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, 54 year old Eddie Nitschke was attacked in the parking lot of the S S Quickstop Grocery in Parkland. Deputies say the suspect approached Nitschke and asked about his religion. Nitschke initially said he was not religious, but when pressed, he admitted he was Christian.

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That is when the encounter allegedly turned violent. Investigators say the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed Nitschke several times. Nitschke’s dog was also stabbed during the attack. Despite his injuries, Nitschke was able to call 911 and provide a description of the suspect before being transported to the hospital in serious condition.

The dog was rushed to an animal hospital for emergency surgery and was later released.

Deputies searched the area for more than two hours using K9 units. Authorities say the suspect was eventually located and was armed with multiple knives. When deputies attempted to take him into custody, he approached them while resisting commands and was fatally shot.

The suspect has not been publicly identified. Investigators have not yet announced formal findings on motive, but the sequence of events has raised questions about whether the attack was driven by religious animus.

Law enforcement emphasized that the case remains under investigation. For many, the disturbing detail is not just the violence, but how quickly a simple question about faith escalated into a brutal attack that left a man fighting for his life and a family pet injured.