Man accused of chasing 2 women in his SUV through Olympia park charged with assault
A 26-year-old man accused of chasing two women in his SUV though an Olympia park is being held in the Thurston County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Olympia police arrested Miles Galen Dozier Alkins on Nov. 10 in connection with the dramatic chase at Bigelow Park on the city’s east side. The two women, ages 34 and 26, ran to a home to get help, Police Lt. Paul Lower told The Olympian previously.
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Alkins with two counts of both second-degree assault and felony harassment/threat to kill on Nov. 14. Two days prior, Judge John Skinder found probable cause for the alleged crimes during a Superior Court hearing and set the bail amount. Alkins remained at the county jail as of Friday.
Alkins is due back in court on Nov. 26 for his arraignment hearing.
Court records detail the investigation into the chase from the perspective of law enforcement.
An officer responded to the area of Bigelow Park at about 8:50 p.m. Nov. 10 after a woman called 911. Dispatch told the officer the woman was screaming and it sounded like she was running when the line disconnected. On a call back, the woman was able to tell the dispatcher where she was.
When an officer arrived at the scene, the officer spoke with the two women while other officers searched the area for the suspect’s vehicle, described as a light blue SUV.
One of the women told the officer that she was walking her dog with the other woman when she noticed a man standing by an SUV. She said the man gave her a look that made her uneasy and she asked him what he was doing.
The man said he was listening to their conversation and called her a derogatory term, according to the statement. The woman stopped talking to the man and the pair kept walking with the dog.
At that point, the statement indicates the women were on the north side of the park by Mitchell Avenue and walking toward Bigelow Avenue.
The man kept yelling at them as they walked away, one of the women told the officer. He then got into his vehicle and began driving toward them over the grass while screaming out of his window, according to the probable cause statement.
The two women ran to a porch on Bigelow Avenue and knocked on the door for help.
When speaking with the officer, they described the man as an “REI guy,” meaning he dressed in boots and flannel that made him appear outdoorsy.
A short while later, an officer in the area located a light-colored FJ Cruiser SUV parked in the 1700 block of Yew Avenue, about five blocks east of the park. The officer noted the SUV did not have plates and it was occupied by a man who matched the women’s description.
The officer who interviewed the two women was called to the area and spoke with the SUV occupant, who was identified as Alkins.
Alkins told the officer he had recently begun staying in his vehicle and confirmed he interacted with two women he did not know at Bigelow Park.
He said he approached the women to talk with them about something he thought he was “entitled to speak about,” according to the statement.
When asked what he said, the statement says he admitted to yelling at them and possibly using a derogatory term. However, he then told them he was “not trying to intimidate anyone” because he and the women both had dogs.
The officer then asked Alkins to recap his story. This time, he allegedly told the officers the women threatened him due to his living situation, and he felt obligated to address them. He then admitted to driving his vehicle toward them over the grass.
The two women later identified Alkins as the man who chased them. The officer then arrested Alkins.
A friend to one of the women started a GoFundMe for them with a goal of $3,500.
This story was originally published November 24, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
