1-year jail sentence for man who led deputies on I-5 chase

A 34-year-old Thurston County man who deputies chased to Tukwila in 2014 was sentenced Wednesday to one year in jail.

Lewis J. Squally pleaded guilty in January to charges of fourth-degree assault and eluding a pursuing a police vehicle. He appeared before Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon on Wednesday for sentencing.

Deputy Prosecutor Brandi Archer recommended that Squally be sentenced to one year and one day in custody so that he would serve his sentence in a state Department of Corrections prison. But Squally’s attorney, Richard Woodrow, asked that his client receive a one-year sentence to take advantage of the Thurston County Jail’s work release program.

Woodrow said that if Squally serves his time on work release, he will be able to keep his job and maintain contact with his daughter. He also said that Squally has received treatment for substance abuse issues.

Dixon agreed with Woodrow’s recommendation, and said that Squally would likely serve less than a year in a state facility if he were released for good behavior.

“I believe he will actually serve more time in jail,” Dixon said.

Squally was arrested on Dec. 6, 2014, following a domestic violence call in Thurston County and the Interstate 5 chase that led Thurston County Sheriff’s deputies to Tukwila.

A deputy responded to reports of a domestic dispute near Smith Lake at about 7:30 p.m. Court documents say Squally choked his wife, then took a kitchen knife and threatened to kill himself, his wife, their children and their dog.

Squally had left the home, and an Olympia police officer spotted his 2014 Dodge Ram truck and tried to stop it. According to court documents, that’s when the suspect fled north on I-5, followed by local law enforcement officers.

The truck’s speed fluctuated between 75 and 120 mph as its driver weaved through traffic and passed slower traffic on the shoulder, according to court documents. Deputies eventually caught up to Squally in the Tukwila area and used a special maneuver to stop his truck at exit 156 — about 49 miles from where the pursuit began. The maneuver caused the truck to spin out and stop.

Squally’s criminal history includes charges related to drug possession, eluding police, assault, and failure to register as a sex offender for a child molestation conviction he received as a juvenile, according to court documents.

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 5:12 PM with the headline "1-year jail sentence for man who led deputies on I-5 chase."