What started as a routine Saturday night traffic stop in the Nisqually area turned into a rolling arrest operation across county lines, authorities said. Two people with multiple warrants were arrested after a Thurston County deputy tried to pull over an unlicensed vehicle, the driver took off, and the pursuit continued into Pierce County. The chase ended in Tacoma, where the female passenger was taken into custody at the initial stop and the male driver later ran from officers before being caught on foot.
Deputy's traffic stop turned into cross-county pursuit
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders laid out the sequence of events on social media, according to The News Tribune. A deputy first tried to pull the vehicle over in the Nisqually area when, Sanders said, the driver hit the gas and a pursuit began. The suspect made it into Tacoma, where the vehicle was finally stopped with help from the Tacoma Police Department at East 55th Street and East North Street. There, the driver allegedly tossed a large amount of cash before bolting on foot, only to be chased down and arrested.
Arrests and the suspected offenses
As reported by Yahoo News, Sanders said the man was arrested on suspicion of eluding law enforcement, possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver, driving with a suspended license, obstruction and four outstanding warrants. The woman was booked on suspicion of first-degree criminal impersonation and unlawful possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl), and she reportedly had active warrants for escape, second-degree theft, making false statements and first-degree identity theft.
Alleged fentanyl incident during medical clearance
Sanders also wrote that while the woman was being taken to a hospital for medical clearance, she allegedly retrieved fentanyl from her genital area while handcuffed and tried to swallow it, according to The News Tribune. Authorities stressed that the arrests were made on suspicion, and that any formal charges will be up to the county prosecutor as the case moves through the system.
What the charges mean under Washington law
If prosecutors decide to file charges, criminal impersonation in the first degree is a class C felony under Washington law, and possession with intent to deliver fentanyl would fall under the state’s controlled substances statutes and can carry felony penalties. See RCW 9A.60.040 and RCW 69.50.401 for the statutes that define those offenses and potential penalties.
