Early yesterday, a drive-by shooting disrupted the quiet of the 6400 block of 80th St. E. Calls flooded in at 7:07 am reporting the incident and a silver sedan speeding away from the scene. Pierce County deputies quickly located the vehicle and attempted to make contact, but the suspects were uncooperative, sparking a high-speed chase.
The suspects' refusal to stop led deputies to actively pursue, them despite the inherent danger. Amidst the chase, the suspect’s vehicle collided with a civilian car, resulting in minor injuries. Deputies eventually halted the sedan with a precision immobilization technique, or PIT maneuver, justified by the belief that the suspects posed an imminent threat. “These suspects were extremely dangerous and reckless with their drive-by-shooting and likely would kill or hurt someone if not stopped”, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
Following the arrest, the suspect vehicle was impounded and a search warrant was issued, revealing a visible firearm inside. A male and female suspect were taken into custody, and deputies later recovered two firearms discarded from the car during the chase. A third gun was found within the impounded vehicle, pending further investigation.
The male suspect is now facing a slew of charges including vehicular assault, drive-by shooting, felony eluding, unlawful possession of a firearm 1st degree, and possession of a stolen firearm. The female suspect will be to face charges for unlawful possession of a firearm, obstruction, and drive-by shooting. The Pierce County Sheriff's Department lauded the deputies' response, attributing the successful operation to their "skills and resources" in managing to safely take two more dangerous offenders off the streets. The investigation is ongoing and is expected to conclude following a complete search of the vehicle.
