"You Messed With The Wrong Motherfucker."

Three men were treated for stab wounds at Harborview Medical Center Saturday night, after police say the men tried to confront another male somewhere near 3rd Ave. and Spring St.  who apparently  "felt the need to defend himself."

One witness claimed the suspect who stabbed the three men shouted "You messed with the wrong motherfucker."

Detectives from SPD's gang unit questioned the three men at Harborview and determined that while two of the victims were known to them, the stabbing was not likely a gang related assault.

A police search for both the suspect and a specific location where  the crime occurred was inconclusive.

Update: One of our commenters, Heath Hunnicutt, also sent us an account of the incident at about 9:45 p.m. Saturday:

Policing are searching downtown for a suspect in three stabbings which took place Saturday around 9pm in the area of Benaroya Hall.  The three victims were attacked in separate incidents taking place at 3rd & University, another location on 3rd, and an unknown location nearby.

At least one of the victims, a man described as "mild-mannered," was critically injured -- a run was made for units of blood for transfusion due to his injuries.

The suspect is at large and described so far as having short hair, very short in height and stocky or overweight.