Task force and SWAT arrest fugitive who failed to appear for Lakewood shooting trial

TACOMA, Wash. — A Pierce County Sheriff’s deputy recognized a 37-year-old fugitive who had stopped showing up to court during his jury trial.

The man had been charged in connection to a 2022 shooting in Lakewood.

He was spotted in the 11200 block of 171st Street East in South Hill on Friday, April 26.

Deputies surrounded a house they believed the suspect to be in and used a PA system to order everyone out of the house.

A woman exited the house with her small child, but everyone else stayed inside the home, prompting officers to request SWAT officers.

After a standoff lasting several hours, a man came out of the house, followed by the suspect, who was booked into jail on his warrant.

In his absence, the jury trial continued, and he was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle.

He will be held in jail without bail until his May 24 sentencing.

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