Deputies searching for suspect in unprovoked knife attack as man walked down Sprague in Spokane Valley early Tuesday

Spokane Valley detectives are searching for a suspect who they allege attacked a man with a knife, gashing the victim’s hand, in an apparently random assault early Tuesday morning in Spokane Valley.

The victim told authorities he was walking west on the 10300 block of East Sprague Avenue around 1:10 a.m. and saw the suspect walking on the other side of Sprague, according to a Spokane Valley Police Department news release.

The suspect ran across Sprague and toward the victim from behind, the release said. Armed with a large knife in his right hand, the suspect suddenly tried to stab the man with the weapon. The victim raised his hand to defend himself to block the knife.

The man sustained a deep cut to the inside of his right hand as he told the suspect, “I don’t have anything,” he told police. The suspect replied, “I’ll come back for you later,” before running back across Sprague.

The man told police he did not recognize the suspect and did not know why the suspect attacked him. He said he was taking a walk to stay awake for his new job on the night shift.

He was taken to the hospital for severe injuries that aren’t life-threatening, police said. Deputies did not locate the suspect.

The suspect is described as a 5-foot-8, 180-pound white man who is around 30 years old, deputies said. He wore black shorts with a white or silver stripe at the bottom and a black hoodie. The suspect had short facial hair that appeared light brown or strawberry blonde, matching his eyebrows.

The victim said the suspect had what appeared to be the legs from a pair of jeans wrapped from his wrist to his elbows on both arms.

Anyone with information is urged to call Det. Jason Hunt at (509) 477-3106 and reference No. 10107074.