THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — On Saturday morning, Thurston County deputies chased a suspect in a stolen car reaching speeds over 100 mph.
Shortly after deputies were told of a stolen SUV in the Grand Mound area, a deputy spotted the stolen SUV running a red light in Tumwater.
A deputy assigned to the Traffic Unit pulled the SUV over and asked the driver to get out.
A moment later the driver opened the door slightly before shutting the door and driving away.
The driver then got on I-5 South, where deputies said he reached over 100 mph.
Deputies said the driver exited the interstate at Maytown Road and continued to run at speed into the 80s.
After the road was clear a deputy performed the PIT maneuver but the driver recovered and continued to run.
Another deputy used their grapple to disable the SUV but was unsuccessful because it got damaged.
A second PIT maneuver was completed and the SUV was pinned.
According to the sheriff, the driver got out of the SUV and began drinking vodka from a bottle and ignoring the deputy’s commands to surrender.
With K9 in hand, deputies warned the suspect to lie on the ground.
The suspect then throws the bottle across the road and lays on the ground.
Deputies arrested the suspect, who turned out to be a person TCSO chased in October 2024 and had recently been released from prison.
The passenger told deputies that the suspect was drinking from the bottle of vodka during the chase.
The suspect was booked into Thurston County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence, attempting to elude a pursuing police car and driving with a suspended license.
The suspect was also cited for running a red light, public intoxication and littering.
In a Facebook post, Sheriff Sanders wrote:
If the state has any interest in curbing high speed chases, abysmal auto theft rates, and record high traffic fatalities, we may want to consider moving away from our current practice that enables these individuals to continuously reoffend until they eventually kill someone.
Unfortunately, most of the conversations occurring in the legislature right now are centered around lowering sentencing penalties and encouraging criminals to engage in dangerous behavior that put us all at risk of serious bodily harm and death.
Watch the video below. WARNING EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
Stolen Vehicle PursuitTCSO UTILIZES PIT MANEUVERS TO CAPTURE THE SAME ELUDING SUSPECT FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THREE MONTHS Earlier today, TCSO took an auto theft in the Grand Mound area. A short time later, a deputy assigned to our Traffic Unit observed the same stolen SUV run a red light in Tumwater. The driver pulled over initially, then fled at a high rate of speed. The driver fled down I5 at speeds of 100mph before exiting to Maytown Rd. Deputies conducted a PIT, however the driver kept fleeing. Another deputy attempted a grapple, however one of the arms was ran over and damaged when the suspect swerved back and forth over it. Deputies then conducted a final finishing move, conducting a PIT maneuver that disabled the suspect vehicle. As the suspected exited the vehicle, he opened a bottle of vodka and began chugging it while ignoring commands. He then threw the bottle into the ditch. The driver was placed under arrest with help from K9 Asher. The passenger stated the driver was actively drinking alcohol during the car chase. This same suspect is well known to TCSO, as he led us on a high speed chase in October after recently being released from prison. In that incident, the suspect was arrested for DUI, attempting to elude, and driving on a suspended license. Today, the suspect was once again booked for DUI, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, and driving on a suspended license. He was also issued infractions for running a red light, public intoxication, and littering. If the state has any interest in curbing high speed chases, abysmal auto theft rates, and record high traffic fatalities, we may want to consider moving away from our current practice that enables these individuals to continuously reoffend until they eventually kill someone. Unfortunately, most of the conversations occurring in the legislature right now are centered around lowering sentencing penalties and encouraging criminals to engage in dangerous behavior that put us all at risk of serious bodily harm and death.
Posted by Sheriff Sanders on Saturday, January 25, 2025
©2025 Cox Media Group
