Suspect forcibly removed from vehicle after refusing to exit, Lacey police say

A 63-year-old woman was forcibly taken into custody overnight Tuesday after repeatedly refusing to follow officer commands, according to Lacey police.

About 1:20 a.m., police were dispatched to the 5900 block of Illinois Lane Southeast after a report of a protection order violation. That location is near the Amtrak station.

As police arrived at the address, they saw the suspect drive away from the scene.

“They attempted to stop the vehicle, but the suspect refused to stop and continued on, while still obeying traffic laws,” police said in a social media post.

Her vehicle was slowed by spike strips and ultimately stopped off Normandy Drive, north of Yelm Highway.

Police say the woman refused to get out of the car, so they used less lethal tactics, including pepper balls and other de-escalation techniques, but she would not cooperate.

Police finally broke the driver’s side window and removed her from the car.

After Lacey fire crews checked her for pepper ball exposure, she was booked into the Nisqually Jail on suspicion of violating the protection order, failure to obey, obstruction, and driving with a suspended license and without an ignition interlock.

No officers were injured and no patrol vehicles were damaged, according to the social media post.

This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 9:59 AM.