A Stanwood man has been charged with robbery and attempting to elude police after prosecutors say he pulled a Washington State Patrol lieutenant from her car and drove away in the patrol vehicle on Interstate 5 in North Seattle on Christmas Day, according to court records.
Alexander Eugene Smith, 24, has been charged in King County Superior Court with second-degree robbery and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle.
Prosecutors have asked a judge to keep bail set at $300,000, citing concerns about public safety and Smith’s failure to follow court orders in other cases, court documents show.
According to charging documents, Washington State Patrol troopers first responded around 8:53 a.m. Dec. 25 to reports of a pedestrian walking in the northbound lanes of I-5 near North 85th Street.
Troopers contacted Smith and told him he could not remain on the interstate.
He agreed to walk off the roadway and wait elsewhere.
About two hours later, troopers again received reports of a pedestrian in the roadway near the same area.
Troopers contacted Smith on the left shoulder of the freeway and offered him a ride away from the interstate, including a ride to a light rail station and payment for his fare, documents say.
Smith declined.
Troopers then assisted Smith as he walked toward the Northgate exit, following him in patrol vehicles.
While on the exit ramp, Smith sat on a guardrail and again refused offers of help, according to the probable cause statement.
Court records say Smith then suddenly ran back across the northbound lanes, entered the southbound lanes, and returned again to the northbound side, narrowly avoiding traffic.
When troopers told him to stop, Smith replied, “No.”
Prosecutors say Washington State Patrol Lt. Alicia Phillips approached Smith in an unmarked patrol vehicle with emergency lights activated.
As she spoke to him through the driver’s window, Smith opened the driver’s door, grabbed Phillips by the arm, pulled her from the vehicle, and threw her to the ground, according to the charging documents.
Smith then got into the patrol car, locked the doors, and drove away with the emergency lights still on, court records state.
Troopers pursued the stolen patrol car north into Snohomish County.
Documents say Smith exited at Alderwood Mall Parkway, re-entered I-5, and drove recklessly while refusing to stop.
A pursuing trooper attempted multiple times to stop the vehicle using a pursuit immobilization technique, but Smith continued driving, prosecutors allege.
The pursuit ended after Smith drove the wrong way on I-5 and a trooper positioned his patrol car in Smith’s path to stop him.
That trooper was injured by an airbag deployment during the collision, sustaining a nosebleed, according to court records.
Smith was taken into custody and declined medical treatment.
Troopers found two glass pipes used to smoke methamphetamine on him, documents say.
Smith also showed signs of impairment and told investigators he had smoked meth.
During an interview, prosecutors say Smith admitted he pulled the trooper from the vehicle and drove away because he wanted to get home and did not want to take light rail.
He also acknowledged driving at a high speed and being aware that police were trying to stop him.
Prosecutors noted Smith has no felony convictions but has prior misdemeanor convictions and a pending domestic violence-related case in Marysville Municipal Court.
Court records show two bench warrants were issued earlier this year after Smith failed to appear in that case.
The state has asked the court to order Smith to have no contact with Lt. Phillips outside of her official law enforcement duties and to keep bail at $300,000, citing the risk of future violent behavior and failure to comply with court orders, according to the filing.
His next appearance is scheduled for Jan. 5.