A Pierce County judge has dismissed the criminal case against Waleed Emad Essakhi, a teenager charged as an adult after a stabbing at Foss High School in Tacoma, following the discovery of evidence supporting his claim of self-defense. Police obtained Instagram records that they say indicate other teens planned to rob Essakhi in the days before the April 30 incident. In a court filing, prosecutors said they did not believe they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Essakhi was the initial aggressor or disprove that he acted in self-defense. The dismissal is without prejudice, meaning prosecutors could bring charges again if new information emerges. Essakhi had been on home detention while awaiting trial and faced years in state custody if convicted. Six people were injured in the incident. Court documents describe a security guard hearing a call for help and running into the hallway with the principal, where they saw a staff member and students fighting. The guard said he was cut by Essakhi’s knife while trying to grab him, then disarmed him and handed the weapon to school staff. The guard reported that Essakhi apologized. Essakhi transferred to Foss from Clover Park High School in Lakewood in January. His mother told law enforcement her son had been getting into fights and was being jumped at his previous school, and that the move was intended as a fresh start. She said she had heard the Foss fight might have been over a vape pen, but believed her son was acting normally that morning and was unaware of any problems he had at school.