Stolen purse leads to chase, crash and arrest of man on his birthday in Sumner

SUMNER, Wash. — A man accused of stealing a purse from a woman at a Spanaway grocery store and then leading deputies on a chase will be celebrating his 33rd birthday in jail, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

At 9:51 a.m. on Thursday, a 911 caller said a man had forcefully taken a woman’s purse — which had a gun inside — at a grocery store in the 15800 block of Pacific Avenue South in Spanaway. He then fled in a SUV.

As deputies were heading to the scene, the 911 caller said he was following the fleeing SUV and that the driver had fired a shot at him.

When deputies found the suspect’s SUV and tried to stop it, the driver sped away.

“Since robbery and assault are pursuable offenses, deputies chased after the suspect,” a post on the sheriff’s department blotter said.

Deputies chased the suspect eastbound on 104th Street East, then onto eastbound State Route 512, which turns into State Route 167.

When the driver took the 24th Street East exit in Sumner, he lost control and crashed into a semitruck.

The driver than ran away but was quickly taken into custody by deputies.

A records check by deputies showed the SUV the man had been driving had been stolen out of King County.

The man, who appeared to have minor injuries, was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

Once he is cleared by medical staff, the man, who turns 33 on Thursday, will be booked into jail for investigation of robbery, assault, eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The driver of the semitruck was not hurt.

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