A disturbing viral video shows a man brutally attacking an elderly woman at the King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle earlier this month, leaving her permanently blinded in one eye.
Viral Video Captures Brutal Courthouse Attack
The now-viral footage shows 42-year-old Fale Vaigalepa Pea armed with a wooden board fitted with a protruding screw. Using both hands, Pea is seen swinging the wooden and striking 75-year-old Jeanette Marken directly in the face.
The video was recorded by the Seattle Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center. It shows a bystander photographing the suspect moments after the attack, while others rush to assist the severely injured Marken.
Deputy Rushes In as Suspect Flees
A King County Sheriff’s Office deputy is seen running from the courthouse’s main entrance after witnesses point him toward the suspect, who had walked northbound on Third Avenue.
According to multiple media reports, the blow was so severe that Marken’s eye was gouged out. Doctors have reportedly said she will never regain her eyesight.
Bodycam Footage Reveals Suspect’s History
Body camera footage from responding officers shows they immediately recognized Pea.
“Is that Fale Pea?” one Seattle police officer asks another.
“Yeah, you know him?”
“He’s notorious for random assaults on Third,” the officer replies.
As paramedics loaded Marken onto a stretcher, an EMT asked officers about the suspect.
“Who is this guy?”
“He’s a regular. He usually punches. I guess today he decided to escalate from his usual,” an officer responds.
Repeat Offender With Violent Past
Pea is known to law enforcement as a repeat offender. In 2011, he stabbed two people at a party in SeaTac, with one victim reportedly stabbed eight times.
