The 19-year-old man, who was released from prison Dec. 14 and “lists gang affiliations at the Nisqually Tribe and in Tacoma,” smashed nearly head-on into a marked Nisqually patrol car during the chase, court papers state. The crash reportedly knocked a wheel from the patrol car, and “large pieces” of the Honda began to fall off.
The man then fled on foot and was arrested after a K-9 unit tracked him to a crawl space under a home, according to court papers.
During a court hearing Friday, he was ordered held at the Thurston County Jail on suspicion of eluding a pursuing police vehicle and obstructing a law enforcement officer. A judge set his bail at $50,000.
According to court papers:
Deputies were dispatched to the Nisqually Reservation about 2:30 a.m. Friday on a report of a man brandishing a gun at a home.
When deputies arrived, the man had fled in a red Honda Civic and was driving on state Route 510 at more than 80 mph. During the chase, the man turned around on the roundabout at the edge of Yelm, driving off the road and then going the wrong way, causing a “nearly head-on” collision with a Nisqually patrol car.
The patrol car’s driver was unhurt, Thurston County Sheriff’s Lt. Greg Elwin said Friday.
After the man left the Honda and fled, he ignored commands to stop, instead again flashing an obscene gesture.
After the man was arrested, he refused to speak to deputies. Deputies found a holster and a single 9 mm round in the Honda, but no gun was recovered.
Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5445
jpawloski@theolympian.com
