KENT, Wash. — Kent police officers say they arrested a 42-year-old convicted felon from Seattle last week after he allegedly attempted to flee an oil change shop in a stolen 2015 Dodge Challenger and led police on a foot pursuit.
The Kent Police Department (KPD) says the incident began when technicians working on the vehicle at an oil change business on the East Hill of Kent learned it was stolen and called 911.
The suspect attempted to back out of the service stall with the hood still open. He collided with an occupied smaller vehicle behind him, became stuck, and ran away after ignoring commands from officers to stop, KPD said.
A KPD officer operated a police drone from above to track the suspect as he and pursuing officers jumped multiple fences. They say the operator watched the suspect toss a gun into a fenced area of a nearby business. Police later recovered the weapon, a 5.7x28mm FN Herstal handgun loaded with 18 rounds.
KPD says when the suspect entered an area with sporadic tree cover, the drone maintained visual contact. The drone operator alerted officers on the ground that the suspect was heading toward school grounds. Officers approached from multiple angles and took the suspect into custody on school property without further incident.
They say the suspect, a convicted felon, sustained injuries from barbed wire during the pursuit. After receiving medical clearance, he was booked into the King County Jail on charges including possession of a stolen vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, hit and run of an occupied vehicle, obstructing, driving while license suspended, and violation of an interlock device restriction.