Sheriff Sanders chases domestic violence suspect on I-5 Wednesday
Sheriff Derek Sanders chased a fleeing driver on Interstate 5 Wednesday afternoon, but had to abandon the pursuit before the suspect was in custody.
The driver allegedly fled a traffic stop following a “physical domestic assault” near the Lucky Eagle Casino and Hotel, Sanders shared in a Facebook post.
Chehalis Tribal Police reported that a man slammed a woman onto the ground and placed her in a car. A pursuit was initiated after the failed traffic stop but the driver escaped. A Thurston County deputy resumed the pursuit on northbound I-5 but lost the vehicle again due to heavy traffic, Sanders said.
Sanders reported seeing the driver blow past him on the freeway and began pursuing. In his post, Sanders said he happened to be on that stretch of freeway because he was traveling to Tacoma for a forum with the First Responder Wellness Task Force.
“I pursued the vehicle north on I-5 at speeds up to 145 miles per hour,” Sanders said. “I asked for air support, however, there was nothing available in Western Washington.”
Sanders shared dash camera footage of the pursuit with his Facebook post. In the video, Sanders appears to be keeping up with the fleeing driver as he weaves in and out of traffic at high speeds.
However, Sanders terminates the pursuit at about 12:36 p.m. near exit 128. Sanders said he did so out of concern for the safety of the woman still in the car.
“Neither the suspect nor the victim were located and it is unknown what the status of the victim is,” Sanders said.
Chehalis Tribal Police are continuing to investigate the incident, he said.
Law enforcement suspects the driver may be a “prominent career criminal convicted felon” with multiple warrants out for his arrest throughout the I-5 corridor, Sanders said.
The driver also may be driving on a first-degree revoked license, the “most severe driving restriction reserved for the worst criminally motivated drivers on our roads,” Sanders said.
It’s unclear how that determination was made based on the information available.
Sanders framed his move to terminate the pursuit as a hard decision.
“While I’m still fearful for the victim’s safety, the decision to continue pursuing must be continuously evaluated and I did not want to see her harmed in a high-speed crash, which was likely the only way the suspect was going to stop,” Sanders said.
“Deputies and officers did a good job trying to mitigate risk in a volatile situation.”
