SEATTLE — This story was originally published on mynorthwest.com.
The man accused of pulling a state trooper out of her patrol vehicle and taking it on a dangerous, high-speed joyride down I-5 Christmas Day told officers he had smoked meth.
According to a police report released Saturday, the 24-year-old suspect had dilated pupils, looked confused and pale, and was found to have two glass pipes with dark-looking, tar-burned residue inside.
The suspect was arrested after one of four troopers pursuing him on the freeway performed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver to get the unmarked state patrol cruiser stopped.
The defendant refused to appear in a jail courtroom Friday, but a judge determined there is probable cause to keep him in custody.
According to the police report, the incident started just before 11:00 a.m., when the man was walking along the left shoulder of the freeway, just north of the Lake City Way exit.
When officers spoke to him, he agreed to cross I-5, then walk to the Northgate exit.
Shortly after that, troopers say the man ran out onto the freeway, then approached a female trooper in an unmarked utility vehicle, opened her door, and yanked her out.
That’s when they say he drove off and started a several-mile pursuit.
Washington Department of Transportation cameras showed images of the suspect driving northbound on I-5, north of N. 130th.
Another DOT cam showed the vehicle taking the exit to 196th St. S.W. in Everett, then heading westbound.
Troopers saw the driver in the carjacked state patrol vehicle at 196th and 44th W.
Shortly after, he re-entered the freeway at 196th St. and headed south on I-5.
Police pursued him with emergency lights flashing and sirens.
They say the suspect continued driving at very high speeds, swerving to avoid collisions with other cars in poor-visibility conditions, due to the heavy rain.
Four state patrol vehicles continued their pursuit, until one trooper was able to perform the PIT maneuver, disabling the stolen vehicle on the left shoulder near 224th S.W. in Snohomish County.
Several officers came up to the vehicle and pulled the driver out.
Seattle Police officers were also on the scene, including one SPD officer who tased the suspect.
No one involved in the suspect’s pursuit suffered serious injuries.
Officers took the man into custody. They say he refused to give his name, but they found a wallet on him, to determine his identity.
His driver’s license photograph matched the driver.
Police say the suspect stated that he had started smoking meth earlier.
But they say it’s unknown at what time he smoked the drug.
Police requested a warrant to take a blood sample from the suspect.
Two vials of blood were taken as evidence just after 6:00 p.m. by a medical technician at Harborview Medical Center.
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